Son-In-Law of Discord
by DisneyFanatic2364
Summary: Sequel to "Bride of Discord" and "Daughter of Discord." Now that he's gotten used to living with the Discord family, Prince Mothball thinks he is ready to take the next step with Screwball. However, their plans will have to be put on hold when the changelings want Mothball for their king.
1. Home

**I try SO hard not to work on so many fics at once, but...I was bound to relapse sooner or later.**

**So here it is, the long-awaited sequel to "Bride of Discord" and "Daughter of Discord." I was hoping to start it after "The Princess and the Unicorn," but I've hit a wall in that story and I realized it has been over a year since "Daughter of Discord." I don't think this one's going to be as long, but it is going to have some dark elements in it.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic."**

* * *

><p>It was quite possibly the second most horrible day of Discord's life. Number One used to be the day he was turned to stone, but that had been replaced long ago with the day he lost the girl of his dreams, even if he had won her back days later.<p>

Today he had taken over Equestria in rage, was nearly turned to stone again, almost lost his family forever, watched his beloved wife die and was molested by the crazed Queen of the Changelings.

It would've topped all his bad days, had it not ended in happiness.

Thanks to his powerful daughter, Screwball, the changelings were no longer a threat and by some strange magic, his sweet Fluttershy had come back from the dead. With the return of his infant son, Zany, who had been kidnapped by the changelings, his family was whole again and all of Ponyville rejoiced in a grand celebration.

However, Discord was about ready to put this day at Number One, due to the fact that his daughter's boyfriend was moving in.

Don't get him wrong. Mothball was a decent colt. He had rescued Zany from the changelings, helped Screwball defeat the army with their magical kiss and he made the girl happy.

Discord would've liked him a lot better had he not been the son of the witch that wanted to ruin his life.

"Wilkommen!" Screwball exclaimed as she opened the door to the castle. "La Il Château de Caos!"

The changeling walked in, a yellow pegasus with pink hair fluttering behind him, a gray foal also with pink hair and red spiral eyes, matching Screwball's purple ones. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at her daughter.

"What language were you speaking?"

The pink, purple-haired pony in the propeller hat shrugged. "No idea!"

Mothball gawked at the interior of the Castle of Chaos. The entrance hall was kept relatively normal for the convenience of guests, with green walls bearing family photos, a red couch, a pink and purple checkerboard for a floor, a green crescent-shaped coffee table and a fire place. When he looked up, he saw stairs leading to nowhere and blue doors hanging in mid-air. He nearly collapsed from dizziness.

Screwball giggled at his reaction. "That's right! You haven't been inside before!"

Mothball groaned as he put his hoof to his head. "My head hurts…"

"You'll get used to it! This is your new home, after all!"

He blinked and stared at her. "My…my…"

His legs slid out from underneath him. Panicked, Screwball caught him in her hooves before he hit the floor. Her mother giggled and Screwball looked at her in confusion.

"What'd I say?"

"Sorry," Fluttershy grinned. "It's just that I reacted the same way when I first came here! Do you remember that, Discord?" She frowned when she saw her husband wasn't at her side. "Discord?"

The draconequus peeped his gray head through the front doorway, his expression unreadable.

"Yes," he sighed. "I remember that, darling."

Mothball grumbled as he slowly regained consciousness. Screwball chuckled.

"Glad to see you're alive."

"What happened?" he asked, blushing once he realized Screwball was holding him like a doll.

"You fainted. I was talking about how this was your new home and you fainted. What gives?"

"Sorry," he said, rising to his hooves. "It's just…" his eyes wandered around the room, taking every detail into account, "I've never had a home before. I mean I did, but…"

He went quiet, but Screwball didn't need to hear the rest. Before he had left the changelings to be with Screwball, Mothball had been Queen Chrysalis' heir. He was the rarest kind of changeling, a royal, with the height of an alicorn, slit pupils in his eyes and very powerful. Because he was the only royal changeling other than the queen, he was next in line.

The hive was the only home he ever knew. It wasn't a terrible home. He had his own room and everything. But it never felt like home, for even though he had thousands of brothers and sisters, no one really cared for him. His siblings were all jealous of him and his mother literally didn't have the heart to love him fully. Mothball was the only changeling with a heart, which he had inherited from his pony father. He was still shocked by the recent news from his mother that it takes two to make a royal changeling, though she didn't tell him who his father was.

Oddly enough, he wasn't wondering so much about that. All he could think about was this big change in his life: finding his true love, leaving the only family he had ever known, defeating that family with powerful magic and now moving into this funhouse of a castle.

Screwball put her hoof around him. "Well, we'll make you feel right at home here!"

"That's right," Fluttershy said, patting his head. "You're a part of the family now. Right, Zany?"

The baby colt giggled in response. Discord said nothing, only stared at the changeling.

He looked so much like his mother: green eyes, tiny fangs, blue cobweb hair, a beetle's back, insect wings, holes in his black legs… The only thing he didn't seem to inherit from her was her character. He must've gotten that from his father, whoever he was. Discord knew the changeling meant no harm, especially after Zecora had explained to him that Mothball was not feeding off Screwball's love because her love was reciprocated, but just looking at him brought back so many memories…

Discord stiffened as the teens moved in for a kiss. His fatherly instinct got the better of him as he lunged between them.

"Hold up, hold up!" he exclaimed, darting his eyes at the changeling. "If you're going to live here, we're gonna have to set some ground rules. Rule Number One: you are not to come within twelve feet of each other!"

"Dad!" Screwball whined.

"Fine, twelve _inches_. So no touching! Ever! Rule Number Two: you are never to be alone in the same room together! Rule Number Three…" His eyes were burning into Mothball's now. "If you hurt my daughter or any other member of my family in any way, I swear I will turn your brains into soup and serve you to the vultures with fava beans and…"

"DISCORD!"

The draconequus grew silent at the angry sound of his wife's voice. He straightened up and smiled innocently.

"Yes, my love? What can I do for you?"

She put her free hoof on her hip and raised her eyebrow at him. This look was softer than her Stare, but it alone was enough to bring the guilt out of Discord.

"Be nice."

Those two words were all that was needed to make him submit. His arms drooped to his sides as he let out a groan.

"Fine. I'll play nice with the little insect."

He begrudgingly patted Mothball on the head, which made the changeling cringe in discomfort.

"So, uh…" Screwball uttered, attempting to break the ice. "Why don't I show you around? It's easy to get lost in this place. So those two pink double doors are Mom and Dad's room, the white one with the purple spiral is my room… Hey, where's he gonna sleep?"

"We can spruce up one of the guest rooms," Fluttershy offered. "You can ask Discord to decorate it however you like."

"Do I have to?" Discord grumbled.

"Yes," his wife scowled.

Mothball whispered to Screwball, "I thought you said he liked me."

"He does," Screwball assured him. "He's just a grump. Plus, you're dating his daughter, and now you're gonna be in the same living space as her." She blushed at the thought. "Anything could happen."

The changeling tilted his head in confusion. After a moment, his eyes widened and his cheeks flushed to match hers as he caught her drift.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" he exclaimed, backing away from her. "We…we said 'I love you' just yesterday and only just had our first kiss! We're not…we just…"

"_I_ know that," Screwball whispered, "and _you _know that, but _Dad_ doesn't _think_ we know that."

As if making an example, Discord teleported between them, holding up a ruler.

"The twelve-inch rule still stands!"

Screwball rolled her swirly eyes. This had to be the longest day of her entire life.

* * *

><p>Mothball lay in his new bed and glanced around at his new room. He'd had it renovated to look like his old chamber back in the hive: green cave-like walls, a huge bed with a crystalized mattress, a thin black blanket and a hard pillow. It was all he really needed to feel comfortable. Screwball had added a black armoire with new outfits for him to wear. He didn't normally wear clothes, even while disguised, but it was still a nice thought.<p>

It was strange that he was purposely reminding himself of the hive. His current home or not, it was still the place he had grown up in, and it's hard to give up the bed you slept in for seventeen years.

His head turned as the door slowly creaked open. He wasn't used to having a door. His old room had been sealed off by a black curtain that seldom made noise. He was expecting Screwball, but was surprised by Fluttershy.

"Oh," she whispered. "I thought you'd be asleep by now."

Mothball shrugged. "I have a lot on my mind."

"I can imagine," Fluttershy said as she sat on the bed.

"So what are you doing here, Miss Fluttershy?"

She laughed. "Just Fluttershy is fine. I came to see if you needed any pony to tuck you in."

He sat up and looked at her puzzlingly. "Tuck me in?"

"As a mother, I make sure all my little ones are tucked safely in their beds and asleep."

He pointed to himself. "I'm your little one?"

"But of course. You're a part of this family now. I consider you one of my little ones. Oh, you don't mind, do you?"

"No, uh…sure."

Fluttershy smiled and laid Mothball back as she pulled the covers over him.

"Did your mother ever tuck you in?"

He flinched at the mention of his mother, but he answered the question anyway. "Not really." He paused to look up at the pegasus. "Um…Miss Fluttershy?"

"Yes, Mothball?"

He bit his lip. "Do you think…well, maybe…can I…can I call you Mom?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened for a second, but then her lips curled into a sweet smile. "If that is what you wish, sweetie."

She leaned forward and surprised Mothball further by kissing him lightly on the forehead. He felt a surge of motherly love pass through him.

"If you guys are gonna be so nice to me," he muttered, "I'm gonna have to learn to control my feeding."

Fluttershy giggled. "I'll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Mothball."

She flapped her wings and hovered to the door.

"Oh, Miss Flutter…Mom?"

She turned back. "Yes?"

Mothball looked shyly down at the floor. "Thanks for everything."

Fluttershy flashed him one last smile before closing the door and whispering, "You're welcome."

When she turned around she saw her husband sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. Her smile wavered when she noticed the sadness etched in his face. She flew over to him and gently placed her hoof on his back.

"Honey?"

Discord looked up and smiled. Then without saying a word, he brought her to his chest and ran his fingers through her silky mane. Fluttershy didn't need to ask why he was doing this and snaked her hooves around him while listening to his heartbeat.

"I can't ever lose you again," he whispered.

Fluttershy shook her head. "You won't."

He pulled away and looked at her seriously. "I _mean_ it, Fluttershy. You're the only thing in this world that keeps me sane."

"That's not true. What about the kids?"

He shook his head. "You saw what happened. When I saw you kissing that stallion…"

"It wasn't me, it was a changeling."

"I know that, but when I thought I had lost your love…" He trailed off as he caressed her face with his paw. "Not even the kids could keep me sane. They're as chaotic as I am. But you…" His claw moved to her face as well and Fluttershy closed her eyes as she leaned into his touch. "You're the pony who brought light into my heart, who taught me to love, who showed me that there's more to life than chaos. And when I saw you die, I…"

Tears filled his eyes. He couldn't finish. Fluttershy opened her eyes and reached up to touch his face.

"Shhh," she whispered. "I'm here now. And I'll never leave you again."

He closed his eyes and sighed in content as he held her hoof to his face. "Nor I, you. And I'm not gonna waste another second with you." His eyes opened again as an idea came to him. "Starting right now."

He snapped his fingers and the couch disappeared. The entrance hall was then remodeled into a ballroom, the walls and floor turned gold. The chandelier above them glowed brighter than ever before, but dull enough so it didn't hurt their eyes. Discord snapped his fingers again and the two of them were dressed in elegant attire. Fluttershy gasped at the familiar golden gown embroidered in roses and vines. She lifted the skirts to find golden slippers on her hooves. Her mane was tied into a ponytail falling loosely over her shoulder, a rose settled above her left ear. Discord wore a black tuxedo with white lining the jacket and yellow buttons to match the bowtie. A third snap of his fingers and violin music started playing. Fluttershy smiled at the tune.

"Our first date."

Discord grinned. "The best night of my existence."

She raised her eyebrow coyly. "Next to our wedding night?"

He shook his head. "No, because that night was the night I fell in love with the most beautiful mare in the world. And to think, I had the honor of kissing and dancing with her." He bowed as he held out his gloved claw. "May I have that honor again?"

Fluttershy giggled as she placed her hoof in his claw. "Always."

Mothball's thoughts were interrupted at the sound of violin music. Curious, he climbed out of bed and slowly opened the door. His eyes widened at the sight of Screwball's parents dancing in the middle of the entrance hall, which had been transformed into a ballroom.

Fluttershy's head was on Discord's chest and he held her close as he gently twirled her around. His paw was wrapped around her tiny waist and his claw clutched her delicate hoof to keep her from falling. She was so much smaller than him, but for them, size didn't matter.

Mothball was in awe. Even if he couldn't feel the emotion radiating off the couple, he could see in their eyes and the way they held each other that the love they shared was powerful. More than that, it was the most powerful love he had ever felt. It was no wonder his mother had tried to take advantage of it.

What amazed him the most was the soft look in Discord's eyes. He had never seen the draconequus look so…peaceful. Maybe Screwball was right about him not being as grumpy as he seemed.

He decided to give the couple some privacy and quietly shut the door. As he crawled back into bed, his thoughts returned to his mother.

He had always known his mother and Discord had had a history, but his mother had never given the details. He wondered what could've happened between them to make his mother so angry.

* * *

><p>Discord was young, around fourteen. He had really lost track of time since the awful blizzard that took his parents. It must've been at least five years, maybe longer. He didn't really care how long he had been wandering aimlessly throughout the lands. All that mattered to him was finding a place to settle down.<p>

He was in a forest of black trees, almost appearing dead. Despite the lack of leaves, the branches still loomed overhead, blocking out the sun. Discord never minded the dark. He loved how chaotic and familiar it was. Anything could be hiding in the darkness and he would spend hours guessing what it was in order to kill boredom.

Discord looked down as his lion paw stepped in a puddle. He peered at his reflection and saw the gray head of a teenage colt with a black mane, a mop of white on top. His single fang had grown over the years, but was still relatively small. His eyelids drooped over his yellow eyes with red pupils.

After a while, he splashed the puddle with his eagle claw, his reflection rippling.

Maybe he should just give up. He was never going to find a family that would accept him. He was too different.

His head shot up when he heard the snap of a tree branch. He spun around.

"Who's there?" He used his magic to summon a weapon. "I'm warning you! I've got a baseball bat and I'm not afraid to use it!"

There was a loud crack and a high-pitched screech. He turned to see a fallen tree branch and on top of it was a strange creature he had never seen before.

His parents had told him about ponies, along with all the other animals whose parts he had, and this creature had a similar shape. However, it was more…distorted. Its legs had holes in them like Swiss cheese, its horn was like the crooked black branch it had just fallen from, its holed wings were like a fly's, on its back was a green shell like a beetle's and its blue hair and tail were stringy like cobwebs. Discord made his bat ready when he saw the small fangs, in case the creature was carnivorous.

The thing looked up at him with green slit eyes. It squealed and green flames engulfed it. Discord was about to put out the fire with a hose when the creature suddenly became less deformed and more like a pony. Now it was a yellow foal with pink hair and brown eyes. Discord's jaw dropped at the display.

"How did you do that?"

The creature tilted its head, confused at his reaction.

"It's okay," he said, reaching out his paw. "I won't hurt you."

The thing looked at his paw and then into his eyes, probably deciding whether or not to trust him. After a while, it took its paw and changed back to its previous form. When he helped it to its hooves, he realized it was just his height when he was on all fours. The creature leaned in closer and squinted at him.

"What _are_ you?" it said in a female voice.

Discord jumped back and released the thing's hoof. "You're a girl?"

She glared at him. "Of course I'm a girl, you dummy!" She put her hoof to her chest and proudly raised her head. "I happen to be a princess!"

Discord snorted. "Yeah, right."

"It's true! I am Princess Insectra Arachne Chrysalis Changeling III. Chrysalis to my friends."

He blinked. "Right. And I'm King Discord Q. Draconequus the Fifty-Fifth."

"I'm serious, you joker! I'm heir to the changeling throne!"

He blinked again. "What's a changeling?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're really dense, aren't you? A changeling's a shape shifter. I can turn into anything."

"Really?" Discord said excitedly. "Can you turn into a puppy?"

Chrysalis sighed and complied with his request, taking the form of a young St. Bernard. Discord nodded in approval.

"Impressive. How about a whale?"

She changed again, but back to herself. "Fine. I can't turn into big things yet. I'm only twelve."

"Ha!" Discord huffed. "I can do better than that!"

He snapped his talons and a small pink cloud appeared, brown liquid dripping from it. Chrysalis gasped as he summoned a glass and filled it with the liquid. He handed it to her.

"Go ahead, try it."

She looked at him warily. "How do I know it's not poisoned?"

Discord dramatically put his paw to his chest. "Why, Chrissy, what kind of creature do you take me for?"

"I don't know. You haven't answered my question yet. What are you?"

"A draconequus. Now drink the chocolate milk."

She hesitantly took the glass and sipped from it. Her eyes widened in amazement.

"It…it tastes just like love!"

Discord tilted his head. "How do you know that?"

"Oh. Changelings feed off emotions. Love is one of them."

He backed away in fright.

"Relax," Chrysalis assured him. "It's only to gain more power if needed. We eat other stuff."

"You're not gonna feed off me though, are you?"

"Heck no." Her eyes moved to the pink cloud. "How'd you do that, anyway?"

Discord shrugged. "I was born with it."

"Does your species do that sort of thing?"

He hung his head. "They did. They're all gone though."

Discord could've been mistaken, but he could've sworn the changeling was looking at him with sympathy.

"You're all alone?"

He nodded.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

He shook his head.

"Then come with me back to the hive."

He looked up at her in surprise. "Why?"

She shrugged. "That's what friends do."

Discord felt like he was going to faint. "We're friends?"

Chrysalis held out her hoof. "Sure? Why not?" Her lips moved into an evil grin. "Would I steer you wrong?"

* * *

><p>Discord sat up in bed with a gasp. He looked down at his wife. She was turned away from him, sleeping peacefully on her side. As much as he loved watching her sleep, he needed to be alone for a bit. He teleported himself to the entrance hall and slumped on the couch. He snapped his fingers to light the fireplace and again for a glass of chocolate milk.<p>

He wished he had never met that venomous spider. If he had known her true nature back then, he would've never gone with her to the hive, let alone agree to be her friend. He thought they had been friends, but she had betrayed him.

He knew he should listen to his wife and let go of the past, but after today, the past just kept coming back to him.

He remembered the anger in the queen's eyes when she had sworn he had broken her heart. It still made him shudder to think that witch had once been in love with him and that she had removed her heart from her chest because he had broken it.

Was it true? Had she really been in love with him all that time?

Then Discord began to wonder if things could've turned out differently.

"Sir?"

He jumped at the sound of the prince's voice. Mothball was standing right beside him.

"What are you doing up?" Discord snapped. "You weren't in my daughter's room, were you?!"

"No, no!" Mothball insisted, holding up his hoof. "I just got hungry."

"So you're having one of us for a midnight snack?!"

"Will you stop? I just wanted some chocolate milk."

That softened Discord. "You like chocolate milk?"

The changeling grinned. "I _love_ it!"

Discord stared at him and then sighed. He summoned a second glass.

"Here," he said coldly, handing him the glass. "Now go away."

Mothball was about to obey his command when a thought occurred to him. He turned back to the draconequus.

"What are _you_ doing up, sir?"

Discord grunted. "None of your business."

He expected the changeling to leave, but instead he seated himself beside him. Discord was about to tell him to go away again, but he wasn't in the mood.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mothball let out a light chuckle.

"You know," he said, holding up his glass, "Screwy was the one who introduced me to chocolate milk? I told her I was hungry, but she didn't know my diet. I didn't wanna be rude, so I drank the glass she gave me. Chocolate milk tastes a lot like love, you know?"

Discord sat up and looked down at him with wide eyes. "What did you say?"

"I said chocolate milk tastes like love."

An image of young Chrysalis flashed in his mind. He shook his head with a grunt.

"You okay, sir?" Mothball asked.

Discord wanted to avoid talking about the boy's mother and asked a question he'd been wondering for a while.

"How did you and Screwy meet? I mean I know when you met, but how?"

Mothball looked down at his glass and smiled. "It was my twelfth birthday. When a changeling turns twelve, they go off on their first hunt. I found myself in the Everfree Forest and I heard the sweetest sound. I discovered a chocolate lake and swimming in it was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen." He sighed. "Her melodious voice, her curly purple and white hair, her hypnotic eyes…"

Discord coughed into his paw.

"Right," Mothball said, shaking his head. "Anyway, I felt something pounding inside me and figured it was my stomach. I took the form of Dinky, but Screwy wasn't fooled. She…" He blushed in embarrassment. "She started banging my head into the ground."

The draconequus chuckled. "That's my girl."

"She forced me to reveal myself and the strange thing was…she didn't run."

Mothball paused to take a sip of his chocolate milk. "She was the first friend I ever had."

Discord's eyes widened. "Fluttershy was _my_ first friend."

He was about to say "not counting your mother," but he stopped himself. Chrysalis was never really his friend.

"I mean I had thousands of brothers and sisters," Mothball continued, "but I never hung out with them. See, I was always different from the other changelings, not just because I was a royal. I mean I also had a heart, but I didn't know that yet. I…I always felt like I didn't belong. When I met Screwy…I felt like I finally belonged somewhere, and for the first time…I felt like I had a heart." He looked up at Discord in the eye. "You know what I'm saying?"

Discord was silent as he stared down at the changeling. He resembled his mother greatly, but now when he looked at him, he saw himself.

He was an outcast. He'd been ostracized for being different all his life. Suddenly Discord felt bad for calling him a heartless monster so many times, when he had been called the same, and it took the love of a mare to change them both.

"Yes, Mothball," Discord whispered. "I believe I do."

Mothball didn't need to hear anything else. The sympathy in the draconequus' eyes was enough.

"I'm going to bed," he announced, sliding off the couch.

"Wait," Discord said, putting his claw on the changeling's shoulder.

Mothball flinched at his touch but turned to face him. He was surprised to find the draconequus smiling at him.

"You're okay, kid," he said, patting him on the back. "You're okay." Then he leaned forward and glared. "But if you do anything to hurt my daughter, so help me…"

The changeling grinned nervously. "Of course, sir!"

Discord released him and Mothball didn't hesitate to run back to his room. The draconequus watched him cautiously, but he wasn't as worried as before.

For now he knew that the boy would never harm his daughter.

* * *

><p>Chrysalis sat in the middle of Mothball's room, staring at his old bed. In her hooves was the thin black blanket he had slept with since birth. She held it up to her chest, her eyes holding no emotion, as blank as the winter night sky.<p>

She had thought that by removing her heart, the hurting would stop. But it wasn't until after she had done the deed that she realized emotion didn't come solely from the heart. She felt nothing in her chest and shed no tears, but her stomach felt heavy and her head was tingling.

She didn't care about her defeat in Ponyville. There would be other battles.

It was the cost that had made her like this.

She had lost her son.

She recalled the day Mothball had been born. She hadn't expected it. It was just another one of her monthly births. She'd gotten too used to them to feel any pain. She got a surprise when one of the nurse changelings announced:

"Your majesty, this one's a royal."

The nurse handed her the black larva, which was twice the size of its newborn siblings. Its eyes were green with slit pupils, the sign of a royal.

"A prince," she muttered. "An heir to my throne." She held him up. "You will become the deadliest changeling of them all, so deadly that even your own kind will fear you!" She grinned at the thought. "And what's deadlier to an insect than a mothball?"

She had tried so hard not to fail this time, to turn her child into a king while remaining unattached. But all in vain.

It had happened again. She had driven her child away and once again, she was left without an heir.

"Your majesty?"

She did not need to turn around to know it was General Mantis standing in the doorway.

"The other changelings want to know what our next course of action is."

The queen stiffened. "Tell them that we will not be planning another attack for a while. Not until we've…recovered from our defeat."

The general took a cautious step forward. "I'm sorry, my queen."

"For what?!" she snapped.

"The prince. I know you didn't want to lose another heir…"

"SILENCE! You know the law! No one is to speak of that again! And as of right now, you will all do the same with Mothball! None shall ever speak his name, or of his betrayal! Seal off this room! Prince Mothball never existed, do you understand?!"

He bowed. "Yes, my queen."

"Good," she sighed. "Though there is no doubt that a new heir is needed. We will have one soon. And this time…" She pulled on the blanket so hard that it ripped. "No mistakes."

* * *

><p><strong>I don't know when I'm going to update next, since I'm apparently working on three fics at once now as well as planning one for Christmas. But I'm glad I'm finally getting to this, because this has been in the works since last year. I've also been dying to expand the backstory between Discord and Chrysalis. This may not turn out as great as the other two fics, but there was so much in "Daughter of Discord" I didn't get to wrap up.<strong>

**Leave a review!**


	2. Family

**Sorry for the time jump, but I wanted to get to the point of the story.**

* * *

><p>It felt weird being at a wedding. Five years ago, a wedding for Mothball meant hunting ground. After all, there was no event that had more love.<p>

Who knew Mothball would end up being a groomstallion at one?

He was in one of his many disguises: a green unicorn with blue hair, dressed in a blue tuxedo to match the groom's. Standing in front of him was Applejack and Spike's adopted son Cinnamon Stick, Rainbow Dash and Soarin's fourteen-year-old daughter Prism and their older daughter Lightning Dash, who stood behind her twin brother Thunder as the best mare. The pegasus was staring into his bride's brilliant green eyes. Apple Blossom was in a simple but elegant white gown, her orange mane tied up in a bun. Behind her stood her teenage cousin Cinnamon Roll, followed by Screwball and their friend Dinky.

The five-year-old dragon-pony Applespike sat at Cinnamon Roll's hooves, his green reptilian eyes staring intently at the jeweled golden rings in the cushion he held. Cinnamon Roll kept glancing at her brother to make sure he didn't eat them. Beside him, with an empty basket in her mouth, stood Rarity and Fancy Pants' youngest daughter Jewel, a white three-year-old unicorn with a smooth lavender mane tied into a tiny ponytail.

Princess Twilight Sparkle stood between the bride and groom, giving her speech. Mothball didn't pay much heed to it as his gaze wandered around the crowd.

The wedding was held at Sweet Apple Acres, the bride and groom standing beneath the gazebo as they said their vows while the attendees watched from the two columns of wooden benches. On the groom's side was the Dash family, his parents in the front row. Soarin was sobbing his eyes out while Rainbow was patting him on the back, trying very hard not to do the same. Behind the family sat all their friends, including the Discord, Pants, Sparkle and Pie families.

The bride's side stretched out much further, as it contained every single member of the Apple family. Apple Blossom's parents, Big Macintosh and Cheerilee, sat in the front row, along with her uncle Spike, her aunts Applejack and Applebloom, and Granny Smith (it was a wonder how that pony was still alive).

Mothball turned his attention back to the bride and groom. Over the five years he had lived with Screwball, he had gotten to know her friends better. Thunder Dash and Cinnamon Stick had become his best friends and were quite helpful in dating advice, since they had girlfriends themselves. He couldn't help but smirk whenever he saw Cinnamon Stick and Dinky lean out of their lines to steal glances from each other.

Mothball could feel the love radiating off the soon-to-be-married couple as well as the not-married one. While he'd learned to control his feeding around ponies, he could still feel instances of love without trying. He was glad to see the two lovebirds tying the knot, as Screwball had told him they had been crushing on each other since kindergarten and had only started dating five years ago, not long before Mothball came into the picture.

After Twilight had used her magic to slide the rings onto the bride's and groom's hooves, she announced, "I now pronounce this couple husband and wife."

Thunder Dash and Apple Blossom didn't wait for the princess to tell them to kiss. The crowd cheered, but the bride's family was the loudest as they shouted "Yee-haw!" and threw their hats in the air.

The reception was even rowdier, as the bride and groom's first dance was to an upbeat country tune. Mothball stood and watched from the punchbowl with Lightning and Cinnamon Stick.

"Guess this means we're related now," the earth pony said to the pegasus.

"Guess so," Lightning giggled. "So," she said with a sly grin, "when are you and Dinky gonna tie the knot?"

Cinnamon Stick's brown cheeks turned red. "Well, uh…we kinda decided to wait until our baking business gets off the ground. You know. We wanna be able to provide for each other before we take any big leaps."

Lightning Dash sighed as she watched other couples join the bride and groom on the dance floor.

"Looks like I'm the only single one in the group."

"You still have time," Mothball pointed out. "I mean you guys are hardly even twenty yet."

"Yeah," Cinnamon Stick smirked. "Thunder had to marry my cousin _now_ because Uncle Big Mac wasn't sure of his 'intentions' towards his daughter."

"Boy, do I know how that feels," the changeling muttered under his breath.

"I know we're all young," Lightning sighed, "but now that my brother's settling down, I kinda wanna settle down too."

"You sure you're ready after that breakup with Aquafresh?" Cinnamon Stick asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then you're in luck. 'Cuz I think my cousin Apple Tart over there's giving you the eye."

Lightning looked in the direction he was pointing and then raised an eyebrow at him. "Aren't they all my cousins now?"

"Only by marriage. Besides," he whispered in her ear, "they're distant."

The pegasus grinned and made her way across the field.

"Think it'll work out?" Cinnamon Stick asked Mothball.

The changeling shrugged. "They both have a slight attraction. I can't predict the future though."

"Hey!"

"Oomph!" Mothball exclaimed as a pink hoof wrung around his neck.

"How 'bout a dance, Lover Boy?" Screwball demanded.

The changeling smiled. "Sure."

She pouted. "I wish you wouldn't wear that disguise. Ponies are used to you enough."

Mothball sighed. "The ponies of _Ponyville_ are used to seeing me. Apple Blossom's cousins, however…"

"Oh, so what if they see you? What's the worst that could happen?"

"I don't know. A giant mob of cowponies carrying pitchforks and shotguns?"

"Oh, you!" she giggled, playfully nudging his shoulder.

"No, he's right, actually," Cinnamon Stick said with a shrug. "There's always a pitchfork or something at these things, in case the groom gets cold hooves. Did ya hear about my parents' wedding?"

Screwball rolled her eyes. "You're not helping. Whatever. I still want that dance."

She pulled her disguised boyfriend onto the dance floor. Mothball was usually a splendid dance partner, as all changelings learned to dance as a way of seduction. However, he was not prepared for square dancing. Screwball ended up taking the lead and twirled him on his hooves before dipping him.

"Just so you know," she said, bringing him back up to her eye-level, "you won't have to wear a disguise at _our_ wedding."

"Oh, that's good, I guess." He paused and then looked at her with wide eyes. "Wait, what?"

"Ahem!"

They looked up to see Discord looming over them.

"Dad!" Screwball groaned. "I'm almost twenty! Lay off!"

"Chill, sweetie!" the draconequus said, putting up his hands. "I only wanted to ask my daughter for a dance. Your friend there is doing the same."

He pointed to where Apple Blossom and Big Macintosh were dancing; Thunder Dash and Rainbow a few feet away.

Screwball smiled as she took her father's paw. "Okay, Daddy."

She sent Mothball one last glance before pulling into Discord's embrace. The changeling was left in a daze at what Screwball had just said.

He stepped back and watched her laugh as her father spun her around. He had always loved that bubbling laugh of hers. It was one of the first things he had found interesting about her. It was so enchanting that he couldn't help but laugh along with it.

Her bridesmaid gown was red to go with the apple theme. She wasn't wearing her propeller hat, which was rare, allowing her purple and white curls to fly freely in the wind. Even from afar, he could see the sparkle in her swirly purple eyes. He longed for them to be near again so he could gaze into infinity.

Things had been going well over the past five years. Despite Discord's constant hovering, Mothball enjoyed living in the Castle of Chaos. There was so much space and with so many rooms filled with random things, it was hard to get bored. Fluttershy had taken the role of his adoptive mother and while her constant nitpicking could get annoying (fixing his mane and dressing him for the weather), he rather liked the warmth he received from her.

His thoughts were momentarily interrupted by a high-pitched scream: "MOM!"

Mothball looked down as a three-year-old purple alicorn with a short light blue and pink mane ran past him. She was followed by Zany, now five years old with a picture book hovering beside him, snapping like an alligator.

"ZANY'S TRYING TO BITE ME WITH MY BOOK!" the young alicorn screeched.

"Om, nom, nom, nom, nom!" Zany taunted as he used his chaotic magic to open and close the book.

It was stopped by a green aura that carried it into Mothball's hooves. Zany flinched under his glare. Even though the changeling was disguised, Zany somehow always knew it was his sister's boyfriend.

"Really, Zany?" Mothball said sternly. "How many times has your mother told you to play nice with the other kids?"

"I _was_ playing nice!" Zany protested, crossing his hooves. "But Twinkle Toes is a scaredy cat!"

"I am not!" the alicorn filly exclaimed, walking up with an orange pegasus stallion at her side.

"What's going on?" Flash Sentry demanded.

"Zany here was chasing Twinkle with her book," Mothball replied, darting his eyes at the colt. "But he's very sorry and won't do it again. Right?"

Zany grunted. "Yeah."

The changeling nodded and floated the book down to the little alicorn. "Here you go, Twinkle."

"Humph!" she huffed.

"Now, now, Twinkle Sparkle," Flash said, patting his daughter on the back. "Zany said he was sorry."

"Humph!" she said again, turning on her hoof with her nose in the air.

Flash gave Mothball a silent thanks before following her. Mothball glared back down at Zany.

"She started it," the colt grumbled.

"I don't wanna hear it," Mothball said, taking his hoof and dragging him over to Fluttershy. "Mom, I think Junior here wants a dance with you."

Fluttershy saw the grumpiness in her young son's face. "What he do this time?"

"Fight with Twinkle," the changeling explained.

"Again? Zany, how many times have I told you…?"

"I told him."

That didn't stop Fluttershy from starting a long lecture with her son. Mothball smiled a bit and left the two alone.

Zany was another thing he loved about his new life. The little tyke was like a brother to him, and Mothball had been around for so long that Zany considered him his big brother. Even though the chaotic colt would make mischief on several occasions, he was still fun to play with and at times, super adorable.

Mothball glanced between Fluttershy scolding Zany and Discord dancing with Screwball. The four had really become his family, much more than the changelings had ever been. And as he watched his beautiful Screwball, he couldn't argue that he belonged here.

That's when he made a decision that would change his life forever.

* * *

><p>Zany was bouncing off the walls when they returned to the Castle of Chaos. It took both Discord and Screwball to catch him. Once the colt was calmed down, Fluttershy took him in her hooves and flew him upstairs to put him to bed. Screwball yawned and decided she should get some sleep too. She hugged her father and kissed Mothball on the cheek before floating to her room.<p>

For once, the changeling was grateful to be alone with Discord.

"Uh, Mr. Discord?" he asked with a twinge of nervousness. "Can I…can I ask you something important?"

Discord looked down at him with a neutral expression. It was not the first time Mothball had asked him for advice. Despite the continuing tension between them, Discord was the only older male figure in the boy's life, and he would sometimes come to him with things a son would ask his father.

"What the heck?" he shrugged, teleporting them both to the couch. "What you wanna talk about, kid?"

"Well," Mothball muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, "the wedding today got me thinking, and…now, I know you don't like me very much, sir, but…"

He took a deep breath.

"I want permission to marry your daughter."

He shut his eyes, expecting a scolding, or at least for the draconequus to summon a glass of water, drink it and spit it out. All he heard was silence.

Confused, Mothball opened one eye and was surprised to see Discord smirking.

"Well, it's about time!"

Mothball opened his other eye. "You mean you're not mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad? You're making a commitment to my daughter! What's more, you actually feel the need to _ask_ me permission! If that's not a sign of a good son-in-law, I don't know what is!"

The changeling grinned hopefully. "So I can marry her?"

"But of course! Unless she says no, which I doubt. Why, I'll even give you a ring!"

He was about to snap his fingers when Mothball said, "Actually, I was hoping to buy one myself. You know how I've been working part-time at the perfume shop?"

Apple Blossom had recommended him for that job two years ago, when Discord had told him that he should work to build character. The job turned out to be perfect for him. Since changelings had an excellent sense of smell, he could tell the perfumes apart without even looking at the labels or opening the bottles.

"Well," he continued, "I haven't really done anything with the money I earned and it should be enough for a ring."

Discord blinked and then slapped Mothball on the back hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

"You, my boy, have earned my respect!"

Then Discord's face returned to its usual sternness as he leaned in closer. "But let's get one thing straight. You and my daughter are not to go any further than first base until _after_ the wedding! Understand?!"

Mothball gulped and nodded. "Understood, sir."

"Good." The draconequus leaned back and smiled. "And you better make the proposal romantic! Otherwise she's never going to say yes! Well, unless you use three imprisoned princesses for leverage, but I wouldn't recommend that. So, uh…good luck, I guess."

The changeling grinned as he slid off the couch. "Thanks, Dad."

Discord's smile disappeared. "What was that?"

Mothball froze and bit his lip. "Uh…thanks…Mr. Discord?"

He turned to see the draconequus' expression. He couldn't tell if he was shocked, displeased or touched. Maybe it was all three. Discord shook his head with a huff.

"Go to bed, kid."

Mothball complied with his command, but as soon as they were facing away from each other, they could no longer suppress their smiles.

* * *

><p>General Mantis was searching the hive for his queen. She had been in seclusion for days and had only just discovered that she wasn't in her chamber. He came across one of the older parts of the hive on the lowest level. He passed by a large hexagonal doorway and stopped. He turned back and realized the crystalized barrier had been blasted through.<p>

He pulled back the old, tattered black curtain and found the queen lying on a large, black canopy bed. The room was dusty and hadn't been visited for years, until now. The general couldn't see the queen's face, but he did see that she held something small in her hooves which he could not identify.

"Your majesty?" he spoke softly.

Chrysalis' head shot up and turned sharply to the general. Then she let out a sigh and placed her head back on the black pillow.

"Oh, General," she murmured. "It's only you."

General Mantis glanced around the bedroom. "My queen, is this where you've been for the past few days?"

She dodged his question with one of her own, "How long have you been my general, Mantis?"

He paused to ponder the answer. "About thirty years, my queen."

"Ah, yes," she nodded. "Then you've seen it all. You see why I grieve."

He tilted his head. "What do you mean, my queen?"

"You remember who slept in this room. Don't worry about breaking the law, I won't punish you. But you remember. The first one had the ambition, but lacked the power. The second had the power, but lacked ambition."

She curled up into a ball. The general couldn't remember ever seeing the queen this…vulnerable.

"Now, after all these years," she muttered, "I still don't have an heir."

"There's still hope, my queen," General Mantis insisted. "There are plenty of fertile stallions out there for you to…"

"Three months."

He blinked. "Come again?"

She sat up and looked at him. In her eyes was something the general had never seen in the thirty years he had served her: fear.

"Three months, Mantis," she repeated in a cracked voice. "I haven't given birth in _three months_!"

The general stiffened at what she was implying. "It…it could just be a hiccup, your majesty. After all, three months isn't that long a…"

"YOU FOOL!" she bellowed, leaping off the bed and onto her hooves. "DON'T YOU REALIZE WHAT IS HAPPENING?! YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT WHEN A QUEEN LOSES HER FERTILITY…"

She stopped suddenly. The general gasped as her legs gave out. He flew over and caught her before she hit the floor. The color had drained from her face and her eyes were glazed over. They looked up wearily at the general.

"…she's no good anymore."

* * *

><p><strong>I'm not going to go into a lot of detail on the other OC's, because One: they are not the main focus of the story. Two: there are things from "CMC: The Next Generation" (the spin-off series of this universe) I don't want to spoil.<strong>

**But I imagine some of you don't remember much from the last story since it's been so long. Rainbow Dash and Soarin have fraternal twins (Thunder and Lightning Dash) and a younger daughter named Prism (one of the main characters in the CMC series). Applejack and Spike have two adopted foals (Cinnamon Stick and Cinnamon Roll) as well as a biological foal (Applespike). Rarity and Fancy Pants have two daughters: Gemstone and Jewel (her birth occurred in the CMC series). Apple Blossom is Big Mac and Cheerilee's daughter.**

**And, um...yes. I named Twilight's daughter Twinkle Sparkle (don't kill me).**

**Anyway, I hope this time skip wasn't too confusing.**


	3. Proposal

**I can't guarantee daily updates. Remember, I'm in college.**

* * *

><p>Dinner at the Castle of Chaos would've looked peculiar to the average onlooker. Not only were four of the five creatures seated at the table unusual in appearance, but also in eating habits.<p>

Discord had the diet of a goat and would eat almost anything. Tonight he was consuming a bowl of nails. Once it was emptied, he started chomping on the bowl.

Screwball's meal contained the four basic food groups: cotton candy, chocolate, donuts and ice cream. Her mother had thrown some lima beans in there so she would have something healthy, even though nutrition didn't seem to matter with her children.

Mothball, being a changeling, had little taste for regular food. The only things that seemed to satisfy him were sugary sweets, especially chocolate. So, as usual, his meal was a massive chocolate shake the size of his head.

Zany had an odd preference for nacho cheese. Since he had first tried it, he wouldn't have anything without it, which was how his mother got him to eat his vegetables.

Fluttershy, the only non-magical being in the household, was content with a simple garden salad.

"Captain Green Bean!" Zany exclaimed as he made a piece of broccoli float in midair. "The Great Orange Beast must be destroyed!"

He levitated a green bean and spoke in a deeper voice: "He cannot be stopped, Lieutenant Broccoli!"

"Roar!" Zany growled as he made a carrot appear in his bowl of nacho cheese.

"Captain! The Beast! Oh, it's horrible!"

"Lieutenant! Attack!"

They fell into the bowl and emerged covered in the yellow goo.

"What's happening?" said Lieutenant Broccoli.

"Something's got us!" exclaimed Captain Green Bean. "Something even bigger than the Orange Beast!"

"What?"

"It's…the Prince of Chaos!"

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

The foal chomped down on the cheese covered vegetables with a smile on his face.

"Zany!" Fluttershy scolded. "How many times have I told you not to play with your food?!"

"Oh, let him have his fun, dear," Discord said, taking a bite out of his spoon. "At least he eats it after he plays with it. Remember when you tried to get Screwball to eat her vegetables?" He snickered. "She turned her celery into peppermint sticks!"

Mothball spat out some of his milkshake and laughed. Screwball scowled at him.

"I _hate_ celery!" she declared. "It always gets stuck in my teeth."

"It's good for you, honey," Fluttershy insisted.

"Face it, darling," Discord said with a shrug. "They have your looks and my habits."

He popped the rest of his bowl into his mouth for emphasis.

Mothball glanced at Screwball and then at her empty dish.

"Hey, Mr. Discord?" he called to the other end of the table. "May I take Screwy out for a walk? I promise I'll keep her safe."

Screwball's eyes lit up and turned to her father. "Can we, Daddy? Please?"

Expecting an argument to arise, Fluttershy narrowed her eyes at her husband. To her surprise, Discord waved his paw nonchalantly.

"Of course. Go ahead, you crazy lovebirds. Just avoid the carnivorous beasts out there."

Mothball excitedly took Screwball's hoof and led her outside. Fluttershy looked up at her husband in awe.

"I'm impressed," she admitted. "It's nice to see that you finally trust the two of them alone."

Discord crossed his arms. "Oh no, you kidding? I'm totally following them."

* * *

><p>Mothball and Screwball were unafraid of the Everfree Forest. Part of it was due to the fact that the Castle of Chaos was in the middle of it. The main reason was that if a carnivorous beast appeared, Screwball could turn it into something nonthreatening or Mothball could turn into something even more threatening.<p>

"So," Screwball said with a grin, "you build me another snow pony?"

Mothball chuckled at the mention of his first Hearth's Warming gift to her. "Get real. You're the one who can conjure up snow in this time of year."

"True. But you've got something planned, right? I know that look of yours. So what is it?"

"Oh, you'll see."

They reached a clearing containing a brown lake, the chocolate lake Screwball had made when she was a foal.

"Where we first met," Screwball thought aloud.

Mothball glanced at her and smiled. "The day I met the most beautiful pony in all of Equestria."

She giggled and nudged his shoulder. "You flatterer."

"I'm serious. I actually felt my heartbeat, though I didn't know what it was at the time." He chuckled. "When I saw you on that lake, playing in that pirate ship…"

"Hey, that gives me an idea!"

A wooden rowboat appeared on the lake. Screwball floated into it and held out her hoof.

"Come on!"

Mothball was a little annoyed for being interrupted, but he couldn't help but smirk at Screwball's playfulness. He hovered over and sat across from her. He glanced around the boat.

"Where are the oars?"

Screwball giggled as the boat started moving by itself. "We don't need oars."

"Right."

She looked up at the starry sky. "Beautiful night, huh?"

He followed her gaze. "Yeah."

_It's the perfect moment_, he thought. He looked back at Screwy and then silently used his magic to summon something from home. A black box appeared in his hoof behind his back. He took a deep breath.

_Here it goes._

"Screwy?"

Her eyes locked onto his. "Yeah?"

For a moment, Mothball was speechless as he once again got lost in those infinite swirls. Then he shook himself back to his senses, reminding himself why he was here. He put down the box and took Screwball's hooves in his.

"The day I met you," he began, "was the happiest day of my life. You were the pony who showed me how to have fun, the one who saw the good in me even when I didn't. I always thought I was a heartless creature, but you…"

He trailed off when he thought he heard music. He shook it off and continued his speech.

"You showed me otherwise. As if that wasn't enough, by taking me into your home, you've given me the family I've always wanted. There's no other way I can repay that than…"

He stopped again when the music grew louder and fireflies started swarming around them. The lake was suddenly blue and illuminated by the glowing insects. He looked back up at Screwball in confusion. She narrowed her eyes impatiently.

"Well, are ya gonna ask me or not?"

Mothball blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I've given you the perfect opportunity, so ask me."

"How did you…?"

"ASK ME TO MARRY YOU ALREADY!"

The changeling flinched at the volume of her voice but couldn't resist smiling at how cute she looked when angry.

"Right." He levitated the box and brought it between them. "Now, as I was saying, what better way can I repay you than making us officially family?"

He opened the box and Screwball put her hooves to her mouth in a gasp. The ring was gold, with a purple jewel that matched her eyes.

"Will you marry me, Screwy?" Mothball said with a blush.

The ring floated out of the box and onto Screwball's hoof. She held it up in front of her to admire the jewel and looked slyly back at the changeling.

"What do _you_ think, Lover Boy?"

Mothball grinned hopefully. "Yes?"

He gasped as she gripped his chest and brought him close.

"Heck, yeah!" she exclaimed before pressing her lips to his.

Mothball moaned blissfully as he closed his eyes and kissed her back. He remembered how he used to be so hesitant to kiss her, worried that he would hurt her. Now, as he felt her love transferring to him and his love pouring into her, he knew that kissing her only made the two of them stronger.

"Ew, gross!"

The newly engaged couple pulled apart and saw Screwball's family standing in the bushes. Zany was about to gag, Fluttershy had tears in her eyes while Discord was glaring furiously at Mothball.

"So much for privacy," the changeling muttered.

Screwball smirked. "I wouldn't be too sure."

There was a flash and Discord, Fluttershy and Zany found themselves back at the castle.

"Did…" Discord uttered, "did she just…?"

"I think they wanna be left alone, honey," Fluttershy giggled.

* * *

><p>That night, as Fluttershy climbed into bed, she noticed the blank look on her husband's face as he stared up at the canopy.<p>

"You're not upset about our daughter getting married, are you?" she asked.

"What?" Discord responded. "Oh, no! I mean Mothball's a good kid, right? Anyone who gives up their crown for love would make a fine son-in-law, right?"

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. "Then what's the matter?"

He gulped. "Well…it's just…he…he's terrible at proposals!"

His wife huffed. "To be fair, _your_ proposal wasn't exactly romantic either!"

Discord sat up. "Hey, I made up for it, didn't I? Besides, what does it matter how we got engaged? We're happy now, aren't we?"

"Then why criticize our daughter's engagement?"

He opened his mouth and then paused. He grunted as he lay back down.

"Touché, my dear. Still, what kind of stallion is he to let the mare take over the proposal?"

Fluttershy turned her head and scowled at him. "_Excuse_ me?! Mares can be just as romantic as stallions!"

"Oh, really?" Discord smirked. "Because if you're going to use us as an example, then you're out of luck. When we first met, you couldn't look ponies in the eye, let alone say 'I love you!'"

"I still could've proposed if I wanted to!"

"Is that so? How, exactly?"

Fluttershy smiled as she scooted closer to him. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe something like…this?"

Discord shivered as she ran her hoof up his eagle arm. It snaked its way around his neck, bringing their faces closer.

"And then I would lean in," she whispered, her breath caressing his ear, "and ask: 'Will you marry me?'"

Discord sighed. "That would definitely do it. But," he pulled away, "you wouldn't have had the guts back then!"

Fluttershy scowled and turned away from him.

"Oh, don't be like that, darling," Discord purred, laying his claw on her shoulder. "You know I love you, and would've married you no matter who proposed."

His wife sighed as she rolled onto her back to look up at him. "Whether I said yes or not, it would seem."

Discord shook his head. "From the beginning, I wanted my bride to marry me willingly. I never said it had to be _you_."

"So you would've just taken any run-of-the-mill pony?"

"Now, sweetie…"

"I'm serious, Discord. Suppose some pony else went instead of me. Would you have fallen for her instead?"

She gasped as his tail wrapped around her middle and she was lifted toward him. His face was only a breath away, his eyes staring sincerely into hers.

"If some pony else had come," Discord whispered, "I would've married her regardless. But would I have fallen in love with her? I don't think so. So few creatures have affected me, Fluttershy, but you…" He stroked her face with his paw. "You're the only one who will ever capture my heart."

Fluttershy closed her eyes with a content sigh as he brought her lips to his. Then he looked at her with a smirk.

"Now what about you, missy? Would you have married some pony else if not me?"

Fluttershy blinked and then grinned slyly. "Like you said: I wouldn't have had the guts."

"Oh, ho, ho, but anyone could've easily gone and snatched you up. After all, when I saw you singing onstage at the Grand Galloping Gala…"

He whispered in her ear. "You were like a siren calling out to my soul."

Fluttershy giggled as his paw slid down her back. "Discord, the kids…"

Discord kissed her cheek before saying, "That's why the room is soundproof, my dear."

* * *

><p>"Hey, you awake?"<p>

Mothball groaned at the sound of Screwball's voice. "Am now."

He opened his eyes to see her smiling above him, not wearing her hat. He was used to her coming in here, as the only alone time they could get together was when Discord was asleep, which raised the question:

"He won't catch you?"

Screwball shook her head as she slid under the covers. "Nah. He and Mom are a little…" she blushed, "_busy_ at the moment."

Mothball's eyes widened. "You weren't…_spying_ on them, were you?"

"Ew, gross! No, I know 'cuz Daddy just soundproofed the room."

"Wow," he mouthed. "And to think he doesn't trust me with you."

"I know, right? Even when we _do_ get around his rules, it's not like we're doing anything naughty." She huffed. "Like I'm totally oblivious to what he and Mom do eight times a week!"

She scooted closer to the changeling and laid her hoof across his chest. Mothball smiled and put his hoof around her. Things never really went further than this whenever they spent the night together. They didn't want things to get too intense and have Discord walk in on them. No use getting him madder. They were satisfied with just holding each other, finding bliss in each other's warmth. They never spent the whole night together, in case Discord found them in the morning, so Screwball would wait until Mothball fell asleep and then leave.

"So," she whispered, "when are we gonna have the wedding?"

Mothball chuckled, somehow knowing she was going to want to discuss that.

"Your mom asked the same thing," he replied, "and I really don't care."

"We should wait until Thunder Dash and Apple Blossom get back from their honeymoon before making plans. After all, Blossom is gonna be one of my bridesmaids and I know Thunder will wanna be one of your groomstallions. By the way, who you gonna have as your best mare or stallion?"

Mothball stiffened. "I…I hadn't thought about that. I mean Thunder and Cinnamon Stick are the only guy friends I have and I'd hate to have to choose between them."

"You could always borrow Dinky or something."

"Nah, Dinky's been your best bud since birth. It wouldn't seem right."

"Well, we'll figure that out later. Where are we gonna have it, anyway?"

"I don't know. Canterlot?"

"Nah, too sophisticated."

"Sweet Apple Acres?"

"Not sophisticated enough."

"We could have it in the garden."

"Maybe. Still not sure…"

He squeezed her shoulder. "We have plenty of time to figure it out."

Screwball sighed as she gazed at the purple diamond on her hoof. "I can't believe it. We're actually doing this."

"Yeah," Mothball sighed.

"We're actually starting our lives together. We're gonna be a real family." She looked up at the ceiling in thought. "What do you suppose our kids are gonna be like?"

"WHAT?!"

The changeling jumped and would've fallen out of bed had Screwball not caught him.

"K-kids?" he panted. "But…it's kinda…we just…"

"Hold your horses, Mothy. I only brought it up because with you being a changeling and me being the daughter of chaos, would our kids have your powers or mine? Or both?" Her eyes twinkled in excitement. "Wow, that would be so cool!"

Mothball laughed nervously. "M-maybe we should take this one step at a time. I mean…k-kids are a big…big thing and…"

He frowned as a new thought occurred to him: _Would we even be able to have them?_

Only royal changelings could reproduce, though males couldn't do it on their own, which was why they usually acquired queens. He knew his father was a stallion his mother had seduced, but could male royals breed with ponies?

"Hey," Screwball said softly, "we don't need to think about that for a while. Right now, let's just sleep."

"Yeah," Mothball muttered as he slowly fell back on the bed. "Sleep."

* * *

><p>Just outside the castle grounds, two armored changelings were slowly approaching, one in dark green, the other in dark blue. The one in green gazed up in awe at the castle.<p>

"This is the place, General?"

The one in blue nodded. "This is it, Lieutenant."

"Wow. You gotta commend Discord on his exterior design."

"We're not here to admire the infrastructure, Lieutenant! We have a job to do!"

The lieutenant shook out of his daze. "Right. So how do we know which room's the prince's?"

"We smell for him, of course."

The soldiers pressed onward, but some invisible force threw them back.

"What the…?" the lieutenant exclaimed.

General Mantis stuck out his hoof and the castle rippled before them. "A force field. Figures. How else would this family be able to live in the Everfree Forest without any unwanted intrusions?"

"So how do we get in?"

"We won't," the general smirked. "We'll just have to lure the prince out."

He took the form of Screwball and the lieutenant let out a snicker.

"You look pretty good as a girl, Boss."

The general rolled his eyes and muttered in Screwball's voice: "Rookie."

Meanwhile, Mothball was alone in his bed. Screwball had left the minute he fell asleep and returned to her room.

"Moooothbaaaaaaall!"

The changeling's eyes opened at the sound of his beloved's voice. He looked at the empty space beside him.

"Screwy?"

"Moooothbaaaaaaall!"

Curious, Mothball rose to his hooves and went to the window. He saw Screwball hovering at the edge of the garden, waving at him. She gestured for him to come over. He shook his head and chuckled.

"What's she up to this time?"

Screwball disappeared into the trees, so Mothball flew down to follow her. As he approached the forest, he called out to her:

"Screwy? Screwy, what you up to? We'll get in so much trouble if your dad…"

He stopped as he caught a whiff of something. He lifted his nose and sniffed the air.

Mustard.

"Uh oh."

Mothball was about to fly out of there when he was blasted by two green beams. Before he knew it, he was encased in a cocoon. Through the green coating he could see the faces of two changeling soldiers, one he recognized as General Mantis.

"Nice to see you again, your highness," the general greeted. "Sorry for the hostility, but you'll understand our reasons once we get back to the hive."

Mothball gasped and banged against the cocoon. "No! I'm not going back there!"

The soldiers ignored his protests as they levitated the chrysalis and began carrying him.

"No! General Mantis, let me out! Help! SCREWY!"

Even though his cries were muffled by his prison, and he was far away from the castle, his fiancée heard him. Her ear twitched as her chaotic hearing picked up the sound. She jumped out of bed and raced to the window. She caught a glimpse of the two changelings carrying her beloved off.

Screwball narrowed her eyes and put on her propeller hat. "Oh no, they didn't!"

The changelings gasped in surprise when the chaotic pony appeared in their path.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" she boomed. "GET AWAY FROM MY FIANCÉ!"

She screamed so loud that the soldiers fell over. Screwball ran to Mothball's side and blasted a hole in the cocoon. He gasped in relief as she lifted him out.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Fine," he wheezed.

At this point, the soldiers were back on their hooves, their glowing horns pointed at the couple.

"Step away from the prince, girl!" General Mantis commanded.

Screwball glared at the general, her eyes glowing dangerously. "Just try me."

"What is going on here?" Mothball demanded. "Why are you bringing me back to the hive?"

"So you can be our king, of course!" the lieutenant replied.

The couple turned to him in shock. "What?!"

"You fool!" the general exclaimed. "We weren't supposed to reveal that until we were back at the hive!"

"K-k-king?" Mothball stammered. "M-me?"

"But why?" Screwball questioned. "I mean…don't you already have a leader? What about Chrysalis?"

The soldiers exchanged a sorrowful glance. This surprised both Screwball and Mothball, as neither of them had seen sadness in other changelings. It scared them.

General Mantis hung his head before responding.

"Her majesty is dying."

* * *

><p><strong>Dun, dun, DUN!<strong>

**I was gonna have a big cheesy proposal, but I decided to make it comic. Oh yeah, and FLUTTERCORD FOREVER!**


	4. Welcome Home, Your Highness

**Nothing to really say about this chapter, just that I'm surprised with how much feedback this story's gotten so far. Over a hundred reviews and this hasn't been up for a week yet. Wow.**

**As Spitfire would say: "That's an academy record."**

* * *

><p>Mothball and Screwball were speechless, neither of them sure how to respond.<p>

"M-mother is…" the prince stammered, "d-dying?"

General Mantis nodded solemnly.

"B-but…how? I mean she's only…"

"A thousand and three?" Screwball muttered.

"It happens to every changeling queen," Mantis explained. "They have extended lifespans, but there comes a time when the power they've gained over their lifetime runs out. First she loses her ability to reproduce, and then she eventually withers and…"

He choked on his words, unable to continue.

"That's why we need the prince back," said the lieutenant. "Her majesty only has a few days left, a week at most. We need someone to take her place."

"But Mothy's a traitor," Screwball pointed out. "He left you guys. Why would you want _him_ as your king?"

"Because he's the only royal changeling there is," Mantis replied.

"Well," the lieutenant shrugged, "aside from…"

"Shush!" the general hissed.

Mothball raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Lieutenant Bombus meant to say 'aside from our queen.'"

"But…"

The lieutenant paused when his superior gave him a warning glare.

"Uh, right!" Bombus piped. "Aside from our queen! You know, until she dies and…"

"They get it!" Mantis snapped. "The point is that despite Prince Mothball's past treachery, he is still heir to the throne and must return to the hive."

Screwball scowled as she stood protectively in front of her fiancé. "Heir to the throne or not, Mothball's not going anywhere with you!"

"You don't understand the gravity of this situation, girl!"

"Gravity, _schmavity_! I _defy_ gravity!"

"Screwy, he's right," Mothball whispered.

She turned to him in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"Just let him explain."

"Thank you, your highness," Mantis huffed, still glaring at Screwball. "The changelings must always have a royal in charge, as they are the only ones that can reproduce. The prince must keep the changeling line going. If not, then our species will eventually become extinct."

Screwball's expression softened as she looked back at Mothball. "Is this true?"

The prince nodded. "The changelings must always have a ruler."

As much as she disliked the changelings, Screwball knew Mothball wouldn't want to be responsible for their extinction. He'd be the only one left of his kind, and she knew how difficult that could be for someone.

"Hey, nice gem!" Lieutenant Bombus exclaimed when he noticed Screwball's ring. "So you two engaged now?"

"Err, yeah," Screwball uttered.

"Good! Then we'll have a new queen already!"

"WHAT?!" She turned to her fiancé. "Mothy, what's he talking about?"

Mothball rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, uh…you see…while male royals are fertile, they…they can't give birth."

She tilted her head. "Then what exactly were you planning to do once you took the throne?"

The prince bit his lip. He _really_ didn't want to talk about changeling reproduction with his fiancée right now.

"Well…my mother told me that I had to find a queen, and…well…"

Her spiral eyes widened. "Are you _serious_?! Me, Queen of the Changelings?! My dad'll kill me! After he kills _you_!"

"Uh, there's one more little thing you should know…"

"There's _more_?!"

"See, the queen also has to be able to reproduce…" he gulped, "asexually. And she has to be able to give birth to a whole colony, and the only way for her to do that is if she's…a changeling."

Screwball blinked. "What are you saying?"

He looked down as he rubbed his hooves together awkwardly. "If…if you want to be my queen, you'll have to…you'll have to…" He gulped again and said the next sentence quickly. "You'll have to be turned into a changeling."

He shut his eyes so he wouldn't see her reaction.

"WHAT?!"

"Why couldn't _you_ guys have told her?" Mothball muttered to the soldiers.

"But I…me…changeling…how do you even _do_ that?!"

"It's a very delicate procedure," Mantis explained, "and is only done under the direst of circumstances. It can only be used on a pony, however, since they are the closest to our species."

She crossed her hooves as she glared at the general. "If that's true, then why are you wasting time with Mothball when you can just turn some random pony into your queen?!"

"Because the spell can only be cast by a royal," Bombus answered. "I mean come on. Don't you think we'd have a lot more royals if any old changeling could make one?"

"And her majesty is too weak to cast it," Mantis added.

"It's been five years since Mothball left," Screwball pointed out. "If she needed an heir so bad, why didn't she try doing something like that before?"

"That is none of your concern. Look, we don't have time to argue. Whether the prince accepts it, the queen demands his presence. If you don't wish to part with your fiancé, Miss Screwball, you are welcome to be our next queen." The general said this with a groan. "If not, then I suggest you leave and let us carry out our orders."

Screwball put her hoof around Mothball. "Where he's going, I'm going. Besides, I'd like a talk with this queen of yours."

The general sighed. "So be it, then. Follow us."

The soldiers' wings buzzed as they took to the skies. Mothball looked at Screwball worriedly.

"Screwy, you don't know what you're getting into. The changelings…"

"You just let _me_ handle them," she said firmly. "We'll get this sorted out even if I have to flood the hive with chocolate milk!"

She floated up to the soldiers and Mothball sighed as he followed her. He had learned over the years that there was no use arguing with the Princess of Chaos. It was a lost cause.

* * *

><p>The first half hour of the flight was spent in awkward silence. General Mantis and Screwball kept glancing at each other in disdain, Lieutenant Bombus was too afraid to speak and that he might anger his boss, and Mothball was deep in thought as he watched the ground.<p>

Eventually, the prince looked up at his fiancée and asked a question that had been plaguing him since the beginning of the journey.

"Hey, uh…would you…would you really hate being Queen of the Changelings?"

"Well," Screwball groaned, darting her eyes at Mantis, "black isn't exactly my color."

Mothball spoke in a whisper, "Even if you'd be _my_ queen?"

Her expression softened as she turned to look at him. "Oh. Oh, Mothy, I didn't mean it like _that_!"

"No, I get it. I wouldn't want that for you either. After all, _I_ never really wanted to become King. Besides," he gave her a small smile, "I like you just the way you are."

Screwball smiled back and then frowned. "How you feeling, by the way? You know, about your mom?"

He sighed and looked back down. "I don't know. I mean…sure, she's not the best mom in the world, but…she's still my mom."

She nodded. "I get that. I'd be upset if one of my parents…I mean you saw what happened at the big battle…"

_Thanks to your mother_, she finished in her head.

"I just never thought…" Mothball stammered, his lip quivering. "I mean she's lived for such a long time and…"

She laid her hoof on his back. "It'll be okay. We'll get through this." She decided to change the subject. "You know, I've never been to the hive before. Aunt Twilight told me it's like this dark castle with surprises behind every door! Talk about chaotic!"

"You're thinking of our old temporary home in the Forest of Leota," the general interjected. "That was shortly after our…defeat in Canterlot. After Twilight Sparkle and her friends foiled our plans," he coughed, "yet again, we had to move base back to our old hive, which we still occupy today."

"Oh, good," Screwball sighed. "I was worried we were gonna be flying for hours, 'cuz the Forest of Leota's _super_ far away!"

"Actually, we're almost there!" Bombus piped.

She glanced down and saw that they were flying over a forest of black, leafless trees that might as well have been dead.

"Sheesh," Screwball cringed. "The Everfree is livelier than this."

"Now you know why we usually hunt outside our land," the general grunted.

Screwball looked back up and gasped. "Holy moly!"

What she saw was a giant green beehive structure with tall, lopsided towers sticking out of the top.

"Sweet chocolate bunnies, that thing is huge!" she exclaimed.

General Mantis rolled his eyes. "What'd you expect from a colony made up of twenty thousand changelings?"

Her eyes widened as she turned to Mothball. "Geez, your mom's been busy."

The entrance was guarded by two soldier changelings in green armor. At the sight of Mothball, they bowed their heads begrudgingly.

"Your highness," they muttered.

Mothball cringed nervously as he passed between them. When Screwball tried to follow, she was blocked by the guards' spears.

"At ease, boys," the general ordered. "She's with us." He grunted. "Unfortunately."

The soldiers groaned as they placed their weapons in their upright positions.

"Think they remember me?" Screwball whispered to her fiancé.

The guards hissed as she went past.

"Probably," Mothball muttered.

Screwball gawked at the interior of the hive. The walls contained thousands of hexagonal alcoves resembling honeycombs, changelings of all shapes and sizes bustling from here to there. In the center was a narrow green tower that she figured to be the queen's quarters.

"Wow," Screwball uttered. "No wonder you call this place a hive." She touched the green wall. "What is this stuff made of, anyway?"

"Crystalized mucus," Lieutenant Bombus replied.

"EW!" she cried, retracting her hoof in disgust. "Is that the same green stuff you guys use all the time?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

She looked at Mothball in disbelief.

"There are some things about me that are better left unsaid," he murmured.

"Let's move along, shall we?" General Mantis demanded.

He led the group to the center of the hive and held up his deformed hoof.

"Wait here."

He slowly opened the dark green door and shut it quietly. After a minute, he opened it again.

"Her majesty will see you now."

Screwball took Mothball's hoof. "You ready?"

He took a deep breath. "Yeah."

They walked through the doorway together and the sight made Mothball sick to his stomach.

Chrysalis was lying in her black, king-sized canopy bed, several changelings keeping vigil at her side. They ranged from drones to nurses to soldiers to workers. Mothball rarely saw his mother without her crown. It was sitting on table beside her. Her black skin was pale, her cobweb-like mane was practically cobwebs now as it spread lifelessly across the pillow, and her hooves lay heavily on her stomach.

Even Screwball was uneasy as they slowly approached the bed. Neither have them ever seen the queen so…vulnerable.

"My queen?" Mantis whispered. "Your son."

Her eyelids slowly lifted and a lump formed in Mothball's throat. The eyes that used to strike fear in ponies' hearts were now glassy and devoid of emotion. She sluggishly turned her head to look at him.

"Ah, my son," she said, her voice weak and cracked. "So you've come home. My, how you've grown."

"Mother?" Mothball uttered. "What…what happened to you?"

She shrugged slightly. "My time, I guess." She lifted her head slightly as she caught sight of Screwball and growled at her. "I see you've brought the halfling with you."

Screwball scowled. "Nice to see you too, Chrysalis."

"So you two are still together?" The queen's eyes moved to the ring on Screwball's hoof. "Oh, and I see you've take your relationship a step further. Well, well, well. It will certainly be interesting to see a changeling queen with chaotic powers. Shame I won't live to see that."

"Listen, you!" Screwball hollered, holding up her hoof. "I wouldn't be Queen of your disgusting race even if…"

Some of the changelings hissed at her threatening tone. Mothball grabbed her hoof and whispered:

"Screwy, we need to talk."

He dragged her away from the bed. She stared at him in disbelief.

"You're not actually gonna stand for this, are you?" she demanded.

"They resent you enough already," Mothball warned, glancing back at the changelings. "No use making it worse."

"But…"

"Hey, I've had to put up with _your_ family! Now you have to put up with mine! Just let me do the talking."

She looked at the changelings and then back at him. Eventually, she sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

They returned to the queen's bedside, Screwball staying behind her fiancé. Mothball took a deep breath and faced his mother.

"I don't want to be King, Mother."

Chrysalis groaned. "I didn't think you would. You were always weak-minded. Pity. You were such a talented young changeling. Why, you were turning into adult ponies by your fourteenth year. Unfortunately, I was unable to produce a new heir. It would be best if you accept the throne, son. You wouldn't want to bring an entire species to extinction, would you?"

"Don't try to guilt trip me! I'm aware of what's at stake, here, Mother."

"My, my, my. You've certainly gotten more assertive since you left. You sure you don't want the throne? I'll even give you my blessing to marry the spawn of chaos."

"I'm not changing anything about Screwy just so we can get married!"

"Well, the options are that you turn her into a changeling and marry her, or marry some pony else. Either way, you'll have to be King."

Screwball tapped Mothball's shoulder and whispered, "Is she serious? Is there really no way around this?"

"I'm afraid so," the prince sighed. "After all, I'm the only royal left."

"Well," Chrysalis sneered. "That's not necessarily true."

The couple turned to her with wide eyes.

"What?" Mothball choked.

"My queen?" Mantis questioned, panic rising within his face. "You sure?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, General," Chrysalis said as she cranked her head towards her son. "I'm afraid I've kept a little secret from you, my son. You see, you're not the only royal changeling I've given birth to. Before you arrived, I had another heir."

Mothball blinked. "What? Why haven't I heard of this?"

"I forbade anyone to speak of her, as I had done for you when you betrayed us."

"Her?"

"Your sister, Princess Bellatrix."

* * *

><p><strong>No, she does not mean LeStrange! Though that IS where I got the name.<strong>

**Sorry to cut it off there but considering how much I want to put in this, I thought this was a good place to end the chapter.**

**In case you're confused, that whole thing about the Forest of Leota was in the "Return of Queen Chrysalis" arc in the MLP comics. I didn't discover this until after I had finished DOD and realized that alternate universe or not, this still would've happened. So there's my explanation for why the changelings aren't still in that castle.**


	5. The Lost Heir

**Okay, I'll admit it. The whole "finding next heir" premise was borrowed from _Shrek the Third_ (hey, another threequel!) but I promise you it's not gonna follow that plot in its entirety.**

* * *

><p>"I have a sister?!" Mothball asked in disbelief.<p>

"Hey!" all the female changelings present exclaimed.

"Sorry. I mean a _royal_ sister?"

"Yes," Chrysalis sighed as she stared up at the black canopy. "Bellatrix. Now that girl had spunk, something every queen should have. She would always go on and on about what she would do when she was queen, and would practice her magic whenever possible. Unfortunately, she didn't have the power you had, my son. When you were twelve, you could turn into a fly. When she was twelve, she couldn't even turn into an earth filly!"

Screwball looked at Mothball questioningly.

"It's harder than other pony forms, 'cuz you have to hide your wings and horn," he explained.

"She couldn't even control minds like you," Chrysalis continued.

"You have mind-control powers?" Screwball inquired.

"It's not like I ever use it," Mothball murmured.

"Exactly!" Chrysalis exclaimed. "That was always the problem with you, Mothball! You have so much power, yet refuse to use it! It was the opposite with Bellatrix. She would show off her power all the time, not that there was much to show off. She also wasn't very clever, and would have a hard time getting food because she couldn't make ponies love her enough." She groaned. "Couldn't blame them. There wasn't much to love. I suppose she got that quality from her father, whoever it was."

Screwball raised an eyebrow. Chrysalis rolled her eyes in response.

"I was very active at the time."

"So what happened to Princess Not-Lovable?" the chaotic pony asked.

"When she was eighteen, she had made little improvement, so I decided to give her a challenge. I thought some time outside the hive would build up her strength, so I banished her for five years."

Screwball snorted. "Well, aren't _you _Mother of the Year?"

"But that was before I was born, right?" Mothball questioned. "Why didn't she come back?"

"Oh, she did," Chrysalis replied. "You had just been born, actually. Frankly, your sister became jealous of you. Also, her time in the outside world had apparently made her weaker. She wouldn't stop talking about 'friendship' and how there were 'more important things than power.' So she left again, this time on her own accord. Since I had you to replace her, I thought nothing of it then."

"So where is this Bellatrix now?" asked Screwball.

The queen shrugged. "Don't know. Haven't seen or heard from her in ten years. She could be dead for all I know."

"Ten years?" Mothball said. "But I thought you said she came back when I was born."

"Oh, she came back again, to…ask a favor."

"But I was twelve then. I would've seen her!"

"You would have, but you were otherwise…" she darted her eyes at Screwball, "occupied."

The chaotic pony shrugged. "What are the odds?"

"That was the last time I saw her. She could be anywhere now, using a different name, a different body…"

"So say this Princess Bellatrix is still out there," Screwball said, "do you think she'd be up for taking the throne instead of Mothball?"

Chrysalis gazed back up in thought. "Our last meeting wasn't very…pleasant, but she'd certainly want the throne more than you, son. I still think she'd make a poor ruler, but at least she's not as much a goody-goody as you. However, even if she is alive, you'd have a hard time finding her, even with your changeling nostrils."

"She's right," Mothball nodded. "Finding a disguised changeling princess in Equestria would be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"But if we _do_ find her," said Screwball, "and she _does_ agree to take the throne, then Mothball's off the hook, right?"

"Whatever," Chrysalis groaned. "The changelings need a ruler, no matter who it is. Of course, you'll have to find her quickly."

"Why?" Mothball asked.

"Because I'm _dying_ you imbecile!" the queen boomed, sitting up. "I have to give the royal blessing! The title is not official until I do!"

She coughed as she lay back down. General Mantis was immediately at her side.

"Take it easy, my queen," he whispered.

"Great!" Screwball exclaimed, turning to her fiancé. "So we just have to find this Bellatrix, demand that she takes the throne and we can get married with no strings attached!"

"But how are we going to do that?" Mothball questioned. "She could be anywhere!"

"I have no idea!"

"Ooh!" Lieutenant Bombus piped. "Maybe you can find a clue in her room!"

"Bombus!" Mantis bellowed.

"No, General," Chrysalis moaned. "He's right."

"But my queen, you forbade…"

"I know what I forbade! But I'm at Death's door, General. Show them to Bellatrix's room."

The general sighed. "Lieutenant, escort the prince and his," he grunted, "fiancée to the princess' chamber."

Bombus saluted and gestured for the couple to follow him. Screwball took Mothball's hoof.

"We'll find your sister," she whispered, "and all of this will be over."

Chrysalis sighed as she watched them leave.

"They remind me so much…" she whispered.

"Remind you of what, your majesty?" Mantis inquired.

"So much…so much…"

"You should rest, my queen," the general said, setting her head down. "You've been through a lot."

Before she drifted off to sleep, one word escaped her lips:

"Discord…"

* * *

><p>It was Chrysalis' twelfth birthday and she was out on her first hunt. She was flying over the lifeless trees as she scanned the ground. So far, she hadn't had much luck in finding prey, as not many creatures dwelled within the Changeling Forest, for obvious reasons.<p>

Then she spotted a brown speck on the ground and slowly floated down to find that it was a strange creature the size of a small pony, but it didn't look like one. It had the gray head of a pony with a black mane going down its neck and a white mop at the top, but the rest of its long, brown body was made up of many different types of animals.

Curious, Chrysalis perched herself on a branch and watched the strange little beast. It was staring at its reflection in a puddle. The sadness in its face made her heart swell in sympathy.

_Poor little guy…_

She shook the thought out of her head. She was on a hunt, and it was her job to feed off other creatures' emotions. Her mother, Queen Arachne, had told her not to return until she had gained enough power to feed an army. So she used the spell her mother had taught her to peer into the creature's heart and see who it loved, as love was the strongest emotion for a changeling to feed on. Her eyes widened in surprise at what she saw.

Nothing. There was no one the creature loved.

She was so stunned that she didn't hear the branch crack, but the creature did. It jumped up and searched from left to right.

"Who's there?" it called in a male teenage voice.

Chrysalis gasped when a baseball bat appeared out of nowhere. She stepped forward to see if her eyes were deceiving her, but putting her weight on the branch made it snap. She let out a shriek as she plummeted to the ground.

She groaned in pain as she opened her eyes. They were met with a pair of yellow ones with red pupils. She yelped at the fact that she had been caught and quickly changed form. It was too late though. He had already seen her.

When she turned back at his request, he was surprisingly…unafraid.

The creature was a draconequus named Discord, and he interested the young changeling princess. He was so strange, and the fact that there was no one he loved intrigued her. She became even more impressed once she realized he had powers beyond belief.

And though she was reluctant to admit it, he was sort of…cute. In a chaotic way.

When she heard he didn't have a place to stay, she had the strangest feeling that it was her duty to help him. Maybe it was because he had said he was all alone in the world. Despite the fact that she was a princess with a thousand half-siblings, Chrysalis sometimes felt that way too. She rarely left the hive, and her mother didn't want her playing with the other changeling children, as she was "above" them.

But this young creature was just as powerful as she was, maybe even more. Perhaps that factor would make her mother allow her to keep him as a playmate? Or at least a pet?

Either way, she asked him to come back to the hive with her.

"Why?" he questioned.

Chrysalis wasn't sure why, but she wanted to help Discord, to learn more about him.

She shrugged. "That's what friends do?"

He stared at her in disbelief. "We're friends?"

She held out her hoof. "Sure. Why not?"

She really had no better explanation, and the thought made her smile. He looked at her hoof with uncertainty.

"Come on," she urged. "Would I steer you wrong?"

He stared at her for another minute before slowly taking her hoof. "I really don't know the answer to that, but I've got no other option."

Chrysalis giggled like a giddy school filly as she dragged him to the hive. The guards at the entrance raised their eyebrows as the princess walked through with a strange creature, but she didn't pay them any heed.

"Mother, Mother!" she called. "Look what I found!"

A tall changeling resembling Chrysalis, but with green hair, was conversing with one of her lieutenants. Her head turned at the sound of her daughter's voice. She hissed when she caught sight of Discord.

"What is _that_?!"

"Whoa," Discord uttered as he gazed up at the changeling queen. "You're tall. You're like one of those dead trees out there."

The queen growled as her horn glowed green. "Why, you little…"

"Mother, wait!" Chrysalis exclaimed, standing between them. "He's a friend!"

Queen Arachne's horn dimmed as she looked questioningly at her daughter. "Friend?"

"Yeah! His name is Discord! He's a…drakoki…drakani…a whatever! I found him out in the forest! Anyway, he needs a place to stay, so I brought him here!"

Her mother blinked in confusion and then scowled. "Chrysalis, I sent you out there to _hunt_! Not to _make friends_!"

"Please, please, _please_, Mother? Can we keep him? I promise he'll make himself useful! Discord, show her that trick of yours!"

The young draconequus smiled and snapped his talons. Arachne gasped when a small pink cloud appeared and started pouring brown rain.

"How did…how…?"

Then her lips curled into an evil grin. "Oh, I see. He's too powerful for you to consume on your own, so you brought him back so we could all have a snack, hmm?"

"What?" Discord squeaked.

"No, no, no, Mother!" Chrysalis insisted. "I didn't bring him for you to drain! Besides, even if I did, it would be impossible, because he doesn't love anybody!"

Arachne's smile vanished and she squinted at Discord. After a few seconds, her eyes widened. She looked sternly at her daughter.

"Dearest," she spoke in a low voice, "might I speak with you in private?"

Chrysalis put her hooves behind her back nervously. It was never good with her mother spoke in that tone.

"Yes, Mother," she murmured.

The queen turned to her lieutenant. "Make sure that _thing_ doesn't cause any trouble."

The lieutenant saluted and went to Discord's side.

"I'll be right back," Chrysalis whispered to him before following her mother to the tower.

As Arachne shut the door, she turned coldly toward her daughter.

"That thing can't stay here."

"But mother…" Chrysalis started to protest.

The queen held up her hoof. "No! He has no emotion for us to feed on. What good is his power if we have no way to consume it?"

"Maybe we don't need his power! Can't we just keep him the way he is? I mean he has no place to go."

Arachne arched an eyebrow. "Why are you so concerned for this creature?"

"Well…" The princess looked down at her hooves and blushed. "I think he kinda likes me."

Her mother huffed. "_Likes_ you? In _this_ form? Darling, you know as well as I do that no one can love a changeling, at least while undisguised."

"But he didn't run when he saw me…"

"That doesn't mean he _likes_ you. He's a monster himself, so it's no surprise that he had little fear."

"But…he could…"

"Chrysalis!" Arachne exclaimed, stomping her hoof firmly on the floor. "I've seen his heart. It's as empty as a bottomless pit, with no love to give you or anyone else."

"But…" Chrysalis sniffed as tears formed in her eyes. "But…but…"

"Oh, Chrissy," Arachne whispered as she lifted her daughter's chin. "You're too young to comprehend. If you're going to be Queen one day, there is one thing you must remember: love is a weakness."

The princess tilted her head. "But don't we gain power from love?"

"Exactly! It's weakness to whoever feels it, but strength to those who can take advantage of it, like us. But for us to feel love will only lead to our destruction. Take you and this creature, for instance. If this…_liking_ you have for him becomes anything more, you would never be able to drain him of his power."

"But you said he doesn't…"

"There are other ways." The queen released her daughter and began pacing the room. "Even if we can't drain his power, we can still use it to our advantage. You said this creature was looking for a home, yes?"

Chrysalis nodded. "He's the last of his kind."

"Yes," Arachne murmured, rubbing her chin. "It just might work…"

"What might work, Mother?"

"You know that new land just over the mountains? That place has a very special kind of magic that I've been dying to get my hooves on, but that same magic protects it!" She chuckled to herself. "Perhaps, if that little creature gets motivated enough…"

Chrysalis bit her lip. "W-what do you mean, Mother?"

Arachne grinned mischievously. "Chrissy, my darling, would you do your mummy a small favor?"

She whispered her plan in her daughter's ear and Chrysalis became sick to her stomach as she listened.

"Mother, I can't…"

"You must," Arachne demanded.

"It'll hurt him…"

"If you're going to be Queen of the Changelings, you must learn not to let your emotions get in your way of power!"

"But…"

"How about I make you a deal? If this plan succeeds, and the new land becomes ours, you can do whatever you like with that creature." She tapped her chin. "Now that I think about it, that would make our takeover all the more official." She nudged the princess toward the door. "Now go, my girl. Make Mummy proud."

Arachne opened the door with her magic. Through it, Discord was juggling broken bottles for a group of worker changelings. Chrysalis glanced at him and then back at her mother. She shrunk under her cold stare. There was no use arguing with her mother. She always got her way, no matter what.

Chrysalis looked back at Discord and gulped. She slowly approached him, her heart growing heavier with every step she took. The draconequus smiled when he saw her.

"Hey, Chrissy!" he exclaimed. "Watch this!"

He tossed all the broken bottles in the air. When they came down, they were oranges. Chrysalis couldn't help but laugh, but then frowned when she remembered her task.

"Um, Discord?" she squeaked.

"Yeah?" Discord said.

The princess looked down at her hooves and rubbed her foreleg awkwardly. "You, um…you see…"

She glanced back at her mother, who was standing in the entrance of the tower, urging her to continue.

"Well," she gulped, looking back at Discord. "You…you can't stay here."

Sadness welled up in the young creature's face. "You…you don't want me here?"

"No, no, I do! But…my mother doesn't."

He hung his head. "Oh. I see."

"I'm really sorry, but…"

"No, it's okay," he sighed, turning to leave. "No one ever wants me around."

"Wait!" she shouted, a little too loudly. "There…there is a place you _can_ go."

He looked back at her skeptically. "What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath. "Just over the mountains is a land of ponies. _All_ types of ponies: unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi. They all live together in harmony and accept each other's differences. You're…sort of a pony. They might accept you as well."

She choked on her words, knowing that last part wasn't true. The hopeful look on Discord's face made it worse.

"You really think so?"

She winced. "Y-yes."

"What is this land of ponies?"

"They call it," Chrysalis breathed again, "Equestria."

* * *

><p>As Mothball and Screwball followed Lieutenant Bombus, they passed by a large room that was sealed off with crystalized mucus. Mothball paused and looked at it closely.<p>

"What's wrong?" Screwball asked.

"That's _my_ room," the prince muttered.

"Oh, yeah," Bombus snorted. "The queen did that shortly after you left. She didn't want anyone going in there."

He continued forward, but Mothball was frozen in place. Screwball lightly took his hoof and dragged him along.

"You okay?" she whispered.

"She just…" he stammered. "She just…forgot about me. Cast me aside, pretended like I never existed…just like she did with Bellatrix. Is…is that all I am to her? Something that can be replaced?"

She patted him on the back. "Hey, that's probably not true." She paused. "Okay, maybe it is, but hey. She called you back, didn't she?"

"Only because she didn't have anyone else. You heard her. She thinks Bellatrix would make a better ruler than me. She just brought me back because I was easier to find."

"But isn't that good? I mean if we find Bellatrix, you won't have to be King, and we can be together. That's what you want, right?"

He sighed. "I guess."

Screwball frowned and let her hoof fall. "You guess? What do you mean you _guess_?"

Mothball opened his mouth as he struggled to find an answer. Fortunately, Lieutenant Bombus came to his rescue.

"Here we are!"

Mothball relayed his surroundings. He was in a lower part of the hive he had never explored before. In front of them was a large, circular doorway that had fragments of crystalized mucus decorating the edge. He figured there must have been a barrier there that had recently been blasted through. Hanging from the doorway was an old black curtain, much like the one that used to conceal Mothball's room. The lieutenant pulled it back to reveal the changeling princess' old chamber.

In the center was a black, queen-sized canopy bed that was covered in dust and cobwebs. On the left was a bookshelf and on the right was a green vanity. The green walls were covered in colorful posters.

"Her majesty ordered that this room remain untouched," Bombus explained. "No one's been in here since the princess left." He smiled brightly. "Well, good luck! I'll be out here if you need anything else!"

"Uh-huh," Screwball muttered. "Well, let's get started."

Mothball nodded dumbly as he followed her into the room.

"Okay," she said, pointing to the side with the vanity. "You take that side and I'll take this side."

He didn't say anything as he complied with her request. He started searching through the vanity while Screwball rummaged through the bookshelf.

She whistled as she read the titles. "Check this out! _The History Starswirl the Bearded_? _Hoofdini's Great Escapes_? _The Magician's Hoofbook_? This Bellatrix sure was a fan of magic."

Mothball levitated an old green crystal brush out of the drawer. "And she sure liked beautifying herself." He examined the hairs on the brush. "Huh. Her mane was green. Well, that's a surprise."

"Look at these posters here! She sure had a crush on Starswirl the Bearded."

Mothball shrugged. "Mother _did_ say she tried to improve her magic in any way possible." He tilted his head when he came upon a pack of playing cards and a plastic wand. "Real magic or not…"

"I've never heard of this guy," Screwball said as she pointed to a poster of a brown unicorn with blue eyes and a brown beard, wearing a green top hat and cape. "Ozcar the Great? Eh, probably some amateur magician."

Mothball paused as he gazed at all the posters. Screwball noticed and frowned.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Mother never let me decorate _my_ room," he mumbled.

"Oh."

She tried to think of something comforting to say.

"Well, uh," she stuttered, "look at it this way. She preserved your room."

"You mean sealed it off," he muttered.

"But she didn't destroy it. I mean she kept this room in decent condition, right?"

He said nothing, so she decided to look under the bed.

"Hey, I found something!"

She used her magic to bring out a gray pony rag doll wearing polka-dotted pants. Mothball scrunched his nose.

"What _is_ that?"

"It's a Smarty Pants doll," Screwball declared. "Apple Blossom had one of these when she was little. I guess this belonged to Bellatrix."

Mothball took it in his hooves. He was so confused. Mother had let Bellatrix decorate her room? She had even let her keep a doll?

He sniffed it curiously. "Mother has touched this."

Screwball tilted her head. "How can you even tell? I mean I know you have that super smell and all, but…"

"Every changeling has a distinct scent. We all smell of dried mustard, but with something else thrown in. How else do you think we're able to tell the difference between male and female?"

She shrugged. "Fair enough."

"Anyway, royal changelings are a mix of mustard and plumeria. Mother has that, plus some jasmine to verify that she's female and a hint of sulfur."

"Blech!" Screwball gagged. "Sounds awful."

"You get used to it."

"So what do _I_ smell like?"

"Chocolate milk with a hint of cotton candy. Oh, and there's a bit of strawberries in there somewhere."

She blushed. "Oh, you…"

"I think I've got Bellatrix's scent on here too," he said, inhaling the doll again. "But it's very faint. It hasn't been used in so long, and Mother's scent is masking it."

"Why not try this brush here?" Screwball said, summoning the crystal brush covered in green hair.

Mothball took the brush and let his nostrils draw in the scent. "Mustard." He sniffed again. "Plumeria." And again. "Jasmine." He inhaled deeper. "Burnt toast?"

"She sounds fun," Screwball joked.

"But it's like Mother said, even if I have her scent, it would take forever to find her. Do you know any magic that could help us?"

She shrugged. "I could try and summon her, but I've never met this girl, so that would make it harder. I could teleport us to her, but I don't know where she is. Even chaos magic has its limits."

Suddenly, a light bulb appeared over her head. "I've got it! Auntie Twilight once showed me a spell that can find some pony using something that belonged to that pony."

"Can you cast it?" Mothball asked.

She sighed. "Unfortunately, finding spells aren't my forte. But if we bring that brush to Auntie Twilight, maybe she can help us!" Her smile disappeared. "Uh oh."

"What?"

Screwball glanced at her hoof and summoned a watch. "Holy Frijoles! It's almost nine a.m.! We gotta get back to the castle!"

"Now? Why?"

She rolled her eyes. "Think about it. The two of us are engaged and neither of us are in our beds. What's Dad gonna think?"

Mothball tapped his chin. "I have three guesses."

"And they are…?"

"One: that we eloped. Two: that we went off someplace to…you know. Three: that I led you into the deepest part of the forest, sucked you dry, flew off into the night and left you for dead."

"You know my dad so well. Now grab that brush and let's go before he notices we're gone."

Mothball nodded and levitated the brush. Screwball raised an eyebrow as he set the Smarty Pants doll on his back.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh…" he stammered. "You know, uh…in case the brush isn't enough."

Screwball shook her head with a smile. "Sure, whatever you say."

She placed her hoof on Mothball's shoulder and teleported them to her room back at the Castle of Chaos.

"You think he noticed we were gone?" the changeling asked.

They heard a cough and turned to see Discord sitting on the bed, his arms crossed and his eyes glaring fiercely at them.

"He noticed," he growled.

* * *

><p><strong>Heh, heh, heh. Okay, fine, so a bit of Mother Gothel from <em>Tangled<em> was incorporated into Queen Arachne (meaning "spider," thought it was appropriate). And yes, I believe you know what "Ozcar the Great" is a reference of.**


	6. Tension

**I did warn you I wasn't sure how fast I was going to update things.**

* * *

><p>Screwball and Mothball sat quietly on the couch and watched Discord pace back and forth, ranting as he had been doing for the past hour. Fluttershy sat in an armchair with Zany in her lap, waiting for her husband to cool down.<p>

"COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS?!"

"As you've said a hundred times now," Screwball muttered.

"DIDN'T EVEN LEAVE A NOTE, OR CALL ON THE MAGIC MIRROR, OR EVEN INVENT THE TELEPHONE! YOU KIDS HAVE PULLED CRAZY STUNTS BEFORE, BUT THIS…THIS IS…"

Fluttershy gasped and covered Zany's ears. After a full three minutes, she put down her hooves and whispered to her son.

"Go play upstairs."

"Aw!" Zany pouted. "But it's fun watching Daddy be cranky!"

She gave him the Stare and the young colt floated up and disappeared through the ceiling.

As Discord continued his rant, Screwball was getting bored and Mothball was getting hungry. She summoned a chocolate shake for him and a comic book for herself.

"I TRUST YOU WITH MY DAUGHTER, I LET YOU PROPOSE TO HER, AND THEN YOU GO BEHIND MY BACK AND…" Discord trailed off when he noticed the two were otherwise occupied. "ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!"

"Mmm-hmm," they nodded nonchalantly.

He slapped himself in the forehead. "Do you know what I thought when I saw both your beds empty?!"

"That we eloped?" Screwball grumbled.

"That we ran off to do something naughty?" Mothball muttered.

"That Mothball dragged me into the forest and left me for dead?"

Discord opened his mouth, annoyed and speechless. He growled as he clenched his fists together.

"Alright, smarties!" he grunted. "Where _were_ you then?!"

Screwball looked up from her comic. "Are you quite done?"

"NO! I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU BOTH! AND YOU ARE BOTH GROUNDED FOR FIVE CENTURIES!" He paused. "_Now_ I'm done."

She glanced back at her comic as she replied, "We went to the changeling hive."

"You WHAT?!" both Fluttershy and Discord exclaimed.

"What in Equestria were you doing _there_?!" Fluttershy demanded.

The engaged couple remained silent as Mothball sipped his shake and Screwball turned the pages of her book.

"WELL?!" Discord bellowed.

"We'll tell you everything if you'll just calm down and stop shouting," Screwball said firmly.

"CALM DOWN?! HOW CAN I BE CALM WHEN YOU TWO…?!"

"Discord," Fluttershy said gently, placing a hoof on his back. "Deep breaths."

Discord quickly inhaled and exhaled.

"Now count," she commanded softly.

"One, two, three, four, five, six…"

It took him until two hundred and thirty-seven, but Discord managed to calm down. Mothball and Screwball put their distractions away and looked at each other worriedly as they silently decided who should speak. Mothball hung his head and Screwball nodded in understanding.

"Well," she said, looking up at her parents, "you see, these changeling guards tried to kidnap Mothball last night because Chrysalis is dying and they need a ruler, but Mothball doesn't wanna be King so now we gotta find the other heir who Chrysalis apparently had before Mothball so that she can rule the changelings and we only have a few days until Chrysalis dies, can we have some breakfast now?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Discord said, putting up his paw and claw. "One more time, please, and a little slower, if you don't mind."

"Mother is dying," Mothball muttered solemnly.

"Oh dear," Fluttershy whispered.

Discord looked as if an anvil had just landed on his foot. "C-Chrissy? D-dying? But…that can't be! She's only a thousand and seventy-two! Or was it seventy-four?"

Fluttershy fluttered down to Mothball's side and put her hoof around him. "You okay?"

He sighed and looked away from her.

"Apparently it happens to all royal changelings," Screwball explained. "Some inherited disease, I guess." She paused and looked at Mothball. "Hey, should I be worried?"

"We've got at least a thousand years," he said. "Can we not worry about the distant future right now and focus on the present?"

"Right. Anyway, Chrysalis apparently had a daughter before Mothball named Princess Bellatrix whom she apparently banished a long time ago, so now we gotta go out and find her."

Discord slowly sat himself in the armchair. "She's dying?"

Fluttershy flew to her husband's side and stroked the back of his long neck. "I know it's a shock, honey. I mean Chrysalis has never been the nicest pony, but she's still your oldest…"

"Hey, wait a minute!" the draconequus shouted, standing up and looking down at Screwball. "Did you say there was a lost changeling princess you had to find?"

"Yeah," Screwball replied.

"And where exactly is this princess?"

She shrugged. "Heck if we know."

Her father folded his arms. "So what you're saying is that the two of you are about to go on a wild goose chase, going who knows where, going up against who knows what, for who knows how long?"

She looked up at the ceiling and then nodded. "Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! IF YOU THINK I'M GOING TO LET YOU GO OUT ON YOUR OWN WHERE YOU CAN GET MUGGED OR ABDUCTED OR MANGLED BY SOME MYTHICAL BEAST…"

"Here he goes again," Screwball muttered, rolling her eyes and picking up her comic book.

"WELL, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, MISSY! YOU AND YOUR CHANGELING FIANCÉ ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITHOUT AN ESCORT! AND I…"

A knock on the door interrupted him.

"I'll get it!" Fluttershy squeaked, anxious to break the tension.

She opened the door and was met with Princess Twilight Sparkle and her little daughter, Twinkle.

"Twilight!" Fluttershy piped, smiling awkwardly. "What are you doing here?"

"It's Saturday, remember?" Twilight said, scrunching her nose in confusion. "Ten o'clock?"

The pegasus looked down at Twinkle and gasped. "The playdate! I completely forgot!"

The princess leaned past Fluttershy and saw Discord glaring crossly at Screwball and Mothball.

"Is this a bad time?"

"Oh, no!" Fluttershy insisted. "Come in!" She called upstairs. "Zany! Your friend Twinkle's here!"

"Mom, _why_?!" Twinkle whined. "Zany's annoying! He bugs me!"

"Now, now, sweetie," Fluttershy said, kneeling down to her. "Zany adores you!"

"He turned my books into paper bats!"

"Uh…that was just a way to show his affection!"

"Don't you worry about it," Twilight said, summoning a comb to straighten out her daughter's short mane. "You just be nice to Zany and he'll be nice to you."

"Humph!" the three-year-old grunted. "He's a big meanie and always is!"

"'Always _will be_,' honey."

"See? You think so too!"

"Hiya, Twinkle Toes!"

Twinkle screeched as she looked up and found Zany balancing on her horn with his front left hoof.

"How…wha…?" she stammered.

"Prince of Chaos, baby!" he cackled.

He yelped in pain as sparks emitted from Twinkle's horn and burned his hoof. He sucked on it while the young alicorn smiled in triumph.

"Gotcha!"

Zany took his hoof out of his mouth and smiled. "Oh, but I got _you_. Or rather…your wings."

Twinkle gasped as he held up two small purple wings. She glanced at her back to confirm that they were no longer there. She glared up at Zany.

"Gimme back my wings!"

"You want 'em?" Zany taunted. "Come get 'em!"

He stuck them in his mouth like a dog with a newspaper and chuckled as he floated off.

"Zany!" Twinkle shouted, racing after him. "Come back here!"

Discord blinked as he watched her chase Zany around the room.

"Remind me again why we keep meshing these two together?" he whispered to Fluttershy. "They obviously hate each other."

"'Hate' is a strong word, honey," Fluttershy replied with a small smile. "If they spend more time together, they'll learn to get along."

"OW!" Zany screamed as a blast from Twinkle's horn singed his rear.

As his mouth opened, Twinkle's wings fell out and she caught them in her hooves.

"Ha!" she exclaimed with a smug grin. "I win!"

"Sure," Zany said nonchalantly. "You got your wings. Too bad about your tail though."

"What are you…?"

She gasped when she glanced back and realized her tail was gone. Zany smirked as he held it up triumphantly.

"Point for the Prince of Chaos!" he laughed as he flew upstairs.

"Zany, give that back!"

She started to chase him and then stopped and looked at the wings in her hooves. She tried to stick them onto her back.

"Ugh, how do you put these things back on?!" she whined.

"Hey, Twinkle Toes!" Zany called. "You too chicken to chase me?"

Twinkle narrowed her eyes. "Do _not_ call me Twinkle Toes! I don't _have_ toes!"

She dropped her wings and pursued the chaotic foal upstairs. Every pony flinched as they heard a blast and a yelp.

"MOM!" Zany's voice yelled. "TWINKLE TOES SET MY HAIR ON FIRE!"

Discord rolled his eyes at Fluttershy. "Oh, yeah. They're _so_ in love!"

She blushed in embarrassment. "I'll just, uh…go sort that out."

She picked up Twinkle's disembodied wings and flew upstairs.

"ZANY!" her voice boomed. "PUT DOWN THAT ANVIL! TWINKLE! STOP SHOOTING LASER BEAMS AT ZANY!"

Discord and Twilight looked at each other and held up their hands and hooves.

"_I_ didn't teach him/her that!" they said at the same time.

"Well," Screwball coughed as she stood up. "It's actually a good thing you're here, Aunt Twilight. We need your help finding a lost princess so Mothball doesn't have to become King of the Changelings."

Twilight blinked. "Wait, what?"

The chaotic mare sighed. "I'm going to have to explain the whole story over again, aren't I?"

* * *

><p>After Screwball had briefed Twilight on the situation, the alicorn nodded in interest.<p>

"Wow," she marveled. "I always wondered how changeling culture worked in terms of reproduction."

Fluttershy, who had returned from upstairs after breaking up the foal fight, turned to her friend with wide eyes.

"Really?" she asked, cringing.

The princess blushed. "I mean the whole thing with the queen and all."

"So now we have to find Princess Bellatrix before Chrysalis croaks," Screwball continued. "She apparently has to give some 'royal blessing' or it won't be official or whatever."

"One thing I don't get," Twilight said, turning to Mothball. "Why don't you want to be King? I mean with you ruling the changelings, you might keep them under control and find a way for them to feed on enough love to survive without hurting any pony."

"It, uh…" Mothball gulped, glancing at his fiancée. "It wouldn't work out for me and Screwy."

"Why not?" Fluttershy asked, tilting her head. "King of the Changelings or not, can't you still be together?"

The changeling turned to Screwball, who gave him a pleading look.

"I can't marry a pony and be King," he said bluntly.

Screwball sighed in relief. Neither of them wanted Discord to know of the option of turning Screwball into a changeling.

"But maybe this princess could be a better queen than Chrysalis," Fluttershy suggested.

"She _did_ leave the hive for some reason," Screwball pointed out.

"I'm sure she's lovely."

"I suppose," Twilight said, rubbing her chin. "And finding the lost princess could get the changelings on our side and we can work out a treaty of some sort."

"So you'll help us?" Screwball pleaded.

The alicorn nodded. "Of course, I will. But…why do you need _my_ help?"

"You can use that location spell you showed me." She took out the crystal brush. "See? We even brought something of hers!"

"I suppose I could." Twilight scrutinized the younger mare. "Haven't you been practicing the spells I taught you?"

"Um…" Screwball stammered, her cheeks turning red. "Look, can you do the location spell or not?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Give me the brush."

Screwball held it out as the princess lifted it with her magic and set it on the coffee table. She stared intently at the brush for a few seconds. Then she closed her eyes as her horn glowed. A beam shot from her horn to the brush, engulfing it in bright magenta.

When the light diminished, Twilight opened her eyes. The brush was still glowing, but the magic had turned green. Then it slowly rose from the table and started spinning in place.

"It's searching for her," the alicorn explained.

The brush came to a sudden stop as it pointed in one direction. Twilight smiled in triumph.

"It has her trail."

"So now what?" Mothball inquired.

"Now we have to follow it."

"Okay!" Screwball chimed, hopping off the couch. "Let's go!"

"Hold on!" Discord exclaimed, standing up. "What makes you think you're going? The two of you are grounded, remember?"

His daughter scowled. "Dad, this is important!"

Twilight shrugged. "Finding a lost changeling princess _is_ a pretty big deal."

"But no pony says_ you_ have to go!" Discord argued. "I mean Twilight here has the spell. She can find her on her own!"

The alicorn shook her head. "Even if I do find her, she won't trust me. After all, I have a bad reputation among changelings, not to mention I'm a princess to an enemy kingdom. It's best that Mothball comes along so I don't alarm her."

"But Screwy doesn't have to go!"

Screwball put her hoof defiantly around Mothball. "I go where _he_ goes!"

"WHAT?!"

"Honey," Fluttershy said softly, touching his shoulder. "Screwball's old enough to make her own decisions. You know she'll be alright. She has your magic, after all." She turned to Screwball. "But you should wait a while before you leave. You two didn't get any sleep last night and haven't had breakfast."

Twilight nodded. "Your mother's right. We should prepare ourselves before heading out. Who knows where this brush will take us? I suggest we leave later this afternoon, so you two have time to rest and eat. I'll go get supplies from the library…"

"Uh, Aunt Twilight?" Screwball said, summoning a large brown backpack.

"Right. But I'll still have to send a message to Flash that I'll be gone for a while. He's in the Crystal Empire on business." She gasped. "Oh gosh! He won't be back for two days! Fluttershy, do you think you can take care of Twinkle until then?"

"But of course," Fluttershy smiled.

Every pony jumped as the castle suddenly shook.

"AN EARTHQUAKE?!" Zany's voice shouted from upstairs. "IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT, TWINKLE TOES?! HOW ABOUT A VOLCANIC ERUPTION?!"

"He's not serious, is he?" Twilight questioned.

"I'll look into it," Discord volunteered.

He disappeared and returned a few seconds later, wearing a smile of satisfaction.

"I put them in a time-out. That should keep them quiet for a few minutes."

Twilight looked at him nervously. "Uh…what exactly do you mean by a 'time-out?'"

Fluttershy threw her hoof around the alicorn and forced a smile. "Don't worry! She's in good hooves here!"

"Then it's settled!" Discord declared. "We leave this afternoon!"

Screwball bit her lip. "We?"

"I'm coming with you, of course! You didn't think I was going to let you go on this quest without supervision, did you?"

"Um, Aunt Twilight…"

"Besides, it never hurts to have another chaotic claw onboard, right?"

"Um, Dad?" Screwball said, laughing nervously as she pushed the draconequus towards her room. "Can we talk?"

"_Talk_?" Discord repeated. "I know that word! It's never anything good!"

She slammed the door behind them and turned to her father sincerely.

"Look, Dad," she sighed. "I… How do I say this?" She took a deep breath. "You can't come with us."

Discord was taken aback. "What? Why?"

"Well…" She bit her lip. "See…you…

His arms drooped to his sides. "You…don't want me around?"

"No, no! It's just that…when you and Mothball are together, things can get…pretty ugly and…"

"Oh, _I_ see!" He glared at her as he folded his arms. "It's _him_, isn't it?!"

"Dad, please…"

"Now that you have your big, strong, changeling fiancé, you don't need your old dad protecting you anymore! Is that right?!"

"Dad, stop! This is something I have to do on my own!"

"No, it's fine! I can tell when I'm not needed! After all, I spent the first thousand years of my life not being needed! I just didn't think my own daughter…"

"Dad, I didn't mean it like that! Why you always gotta freak out about everything?!"

"You know what? Forget it! You wanna go on this quest so bad? Then go! Don't let _me_ slow you down!"

He flashed out of the room before Screwball could say anything further. She pressed her back against the door and slowly slid to the floor, groaning in frustration. She hated getting into fights with her dad, because he hardly ever let her get a word in. When he did, he wouldn't listen and take everything the wrong way.

But she really didn't want him to come. Not only would he spend the entire journey lecturing her and Mothball on how unmarried couples shouldn't hold hooves, but this was something she wanted to do alone, without his help. This problem involved her and Mothball, and only they should be working to fix it. They needed Twilight for the location spell, but her dad would just get in the way.

Still, she wished she hadn't yelled at him like that.

* * *

><p><strong>Things are going to be a little slow, just so you know.<strong>


End file.
